Firm trains farmers, entrepreneurs

The Director of HortiNigeria, Muhammed Idris on Thursday said the organisation had trained no fewer than 60,000 smallholder farmers and 2,000 entrepreneurs in Nigeria to enhance agricultural practices.

He said the development had led to approximately 92 per cent increase in yields in crops such as cabbage, onion, and tomato.

Idris who was represented by Abdullahi Umar disclosed this during a two-day workshop held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The initiative focused on increasing the productivity and income of 60,000 smallholder farmers.

He said that the beneficiaries were trained in pilot states in the country, including Kaduna, Kano, Ogun, and Oyo.

HortiNigeria is a horticulture programme funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Nigeria and implemented by a consortium including the International Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC) and other international organisations.

Addressing newsmen at the event, Idris, said that developing a sustainable and inclusive horticulture sector would enhance food and nutrition security across Nigeria, hence the need for the programme

He said “The programme aims to enhance food and nutrition security in line with both Dutch and Nigerian objectives. Since November 2021, HortiNigeria has launched several initiatives across Kaduna, Kano, Ogun, and Oyo states, spanning ten value chains within the horticulture sector: cabbage, cucumber, okra, onions, pepper, sweet corn, tomatoes, and watermelon.”

“As HortiNigeria moves into its last year of implementation in 2025, the program is set to expand its reach and continue its vital work in enhancing the capabilities of smallholder farmers, agro-entrepreneurs, and financial institutions.”

“Future efforts will focus on scaling successful innovations, increasing access to finance, and continuing to build robust systems for sustainable agricultural development.”

He maintained that the programme had effectively utilised digital platforms and social media to extend its reach, engaging over 70,000 farmers with vital agricultural knowledge and updates.

“The progress we have made in the past years shows the commitment of our consortium partners and the resilience of various commodity value chain players.”

The team had on Wednesday donated waste to wealth bin to Soiless Farm Lab at Awowo, while Eco-Efficient Solutions was handed over to FUNAAB Hub during during the group visit to the farm.