The French government and Bilyaminu Usman Polytechnic Hadejia, Jigawa State, have trained 500 women on modern agricultural practices to enhance their capacity for self-reliance.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the four-week training, held at the polytechnic, the rector, Dr Bashir Garba Muktar, said the beneficiaries were trained on different techniques of modern farming.
He explained that participants at the training were also trained on how to source modern and simple farm implements for improving their productivity.
The rector added that the training was aimed at building the capacity of the women for job creation, poverty eradication and enhancing national food security.
According to him, the programme was funded by French government under its project intervention known as WATEA project.
Dr Bashir then charged the beneficiaries of the programme to make best-use of the skills they acquired and also cascade the ideas to other women farmers around their communities.
In his remarks, the focal person of the WATEA project, represented by the administrative officer of International Institutions of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Dr Ado Rabo said, WATEA project is sponsored by the French govt in partnership with Agricultural Institutions of Learning to support rural farmers to improve their productivity in Nigeria.
The training included the area of crops production and animal husbandry for enhancing food production in the country.
The Emir of Hadejia, His Highness Dr Adamu Abubakar Maje who was represented by Uban Dawakin Hadejia, congratulates the graduates and appealed to government and private organisations to assist the women with grants for expanding their products.
