The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP) and CARE Nigeria, has launched a programme to empower 6,389 households in Yobe State.
The initiative, known as the Resilience and Social Cohesion (Peace) Project, aims to restore essential services, rebuild livelihoods, and promote sustainable transformation in the state.
Speaking during the state-level stakeholders’ meeting on the project in Damaturu, CARE Nigeria’s Area Manager, Abatcha Abubakar, said the beneficiaries would receive training, agricultural inputs, crop processing machines, and monthly stipends to enhance their livelihoods.
He explained that the project, funded by BMZ in partnership with WFP, UNICEF, and CARE Nigeria, seeks to increase productivity and revenue among smallholder farmers, targeting a total of 31,945 individuals across Yobe State.
According to him, the intervention focuses on five wards in Jakusko Local Government Area, where households will benefit from improved dietary diversification and access to financial services through the establishment of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs).
‘We implement crop production initiatives where participants are grouped and provided with inputs to build resilience and self-sufficiency. Also, we have an Income Generating Activity (IGA) component that supports agro-processing and income diversification beyond farming,’ Abubakar said.
He noted that beneficiaries would be grouped into VSLAs-community-based savings schemes that empower members, particularly women, to save collectively and access small loans to improve their livelihoods.
‘The project will provide seeds for maize, groundnuts, and rice for wet-season farming, while also promoting backyard vegetable gardening to improve nutrition and food security. Each selected household will also receive a monthly stipend for six months, and warehouses are being constructed to support post-harvest storage,’ he added.