Yobe Government in collaboration with the World Bank and humanitarian agencies has supported returnee displaced persons and those still in camp with farm inputs to enable them to engage in agricultural activities toward economic recovery.

Alhaji Musa Jidawa, Permanent Secretary, Yobe State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), disclosed this in an interview  in Damaturu on Sunday.

Jidawa said the state government had provided 300 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) with farmlands, tractors seeds and fertilisers.

He said the UNDP in collaboration with Japanese Government, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and the Victims Support Fund (VSF) had also supported the IDPs with cash, improved seeds, fertilisers and livestock.

The World Bank Fadama lll Additional Financing ll project on its part, has supported vulnerable persons and IDPs with agricultural inputs, livestock, poultry and inputs for fish farming under the North- East food security and livelihood support project.

Alhaji Musa Garba, the State Project Coordinator, Fadama lll AF ll, said the Yobe Government had paid N20 million counterpart fund for the project with 5,000 households expected to benefit from the programme.

Garba said over 2,000 vulnerable households from Gujba, Gulani, Nangere, Bade, Jakusko,Yunusari, Giedam and Potiskum local government areas had already benefitted from the projects.

“Those in irrigation farming were provided with water pump machines, sprayers, fertilisers and herbicides, we also supported poultry farmers with birds and feeds.

“The livestock beneficiaries were supported with a set of three She-goats and one He-goat or, three sheep and two rams per household.

“It is very encouraging that the poultry farmers have started selling eggs to improve their economy, while the goats have started multiplying,” he said.

The project coordinator said foodstuff such as rice, beans, maize and vegetable oil were also provided to the benefitting households to protect the water pumps, birds and the livestock from being sold off.

Malam Wakil Kaigama, a farmer in Bumsa village, said, “I have expanded my rice farm and established a banana plantation with support from Fadama lll AF ll.

“Each of the 20 Fadama lll beneficiaries in this village received a water pump machine, seeds, sprayers, herbicides and pesticides,’’ Kaigama said.

Abdu Liman, a poultry farmer in Buni-Gari, said he was supported with 40 hybrid poultry layers.
“My family members now eat eggs daily, and we also sell a cartoon of eggs every day,” Liman said.