Kebbi State government in partnership with Mass Literacy for Less Privileged and Almajiri Initiative (MALLPAI), on Thursday empowered two thousand, seven hundred and seventy eight (2,778) pastoralists on seven different enterprises, comprising sheep and goat multiplication, modern bee keeping, pasture development, home made yoghurt among others.
Speaking during the official lunching of home made yoghurt and other six livestock production enterprises at Hulkui community in Maiyama local government area, the wife of the State Governor, Hajiya A’isha Atiku Bagudu said the state government under the leadership of Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu implemented this program to help fulani communities stand on their feets and per away from the claim that, they are terrorists.
Hajiya A’isha noted that, the animals’ kits and feeds would be granted to them as loan, explaining that, only if they repay the facilities, other people will be benefited. She warned them to take the loan with intention of repayment.
The wife of the Governor urged fulani communities to sustain their support to the policies and programs of the present administration to enable it continue with its developmental projects.
Earlier, the Commissioner for ministry of Animal Health, Husbandry and Fisheries, Hon. Aminu Garba Dandiga said state government empowered 2,778 pastoralists on seven different enterprises. He added that, 500 beneficiaries would be empowered with animal feeds and fourty thousand naira which to be repaid with two liters of milk through the milk collectors who were earlier provided with motorcycles by the state government.
Aminu Garba explained that, each beneficiary of the animal kits’s loan will be given two sheep, one ram and cell phone or four nannies and one he-goat and cell phone of which to be repaid with reproduced animals that to allow others benefit from it.
“We have seventeen rooms whereby each provided with two solar freezes, to store the unsold milk” he averred.
The Commissioner further said, the yoghurt factory located at Bulasa area in Birnin Kebbi is under construction, which according to him, when completed, 1000 litres of milk would be gotten everyday and will generate annual revenue of N1.6 billion naira.
Hon. Dandiga said the gesture was part of the fulfilment of electioneering campaign’s promises of improving the well-being of fulani and other livestock producers.
In attendance at the ceremony were the Honourable Commissioners for Information and culture, local government and Chieftaincy Affairs , Information and Technology, Former Permanent Secretary, Directors of ministries, CBN representatives among others.