In furtherance of its poverty alleviation and climate adaptation drive, the Development Governance International (DGI), in collaboration with the Ibolo Chamber of Commerce, Mining and Agriculture (ICCIMA), organised a three-day capacity building for selected smallholder farmers in Oyun and Offa LGA on modern and climate-smart animal husbandry.

Group picture with the Hon. Commissioner for Agriculture

The workshop is geared towards deepening the participants’ knowledge of modern skills and practices of the entire animal husbandry value chain, especially goat and sheep. The workshop also acquaints participants with a climate-smart approach to animal husbandry to reduce farmers’ vulnerability to the adverse effects of climate change. The workshop is part of the Partnership for Transforming the Agriculture Value Chain (PTAVC) of the DGI and is expected to contribute to poverty reduction and job creation through enterprise repositioning.

A cross-section of participants at the workshop

In her opening remarks, the Hon. Commissioner for Agriculture in Kwara State, Mrs Toyosi Thomas, commended the DGI Foundation and ICCIMA for designing a practical initiative that will boost food security and job creation. She called on the beneficiaries of the capacity-building workshop to take advantage of the opportunity and apply the knowledge gained from the training. She stressed the need to replicate the initiative in other part of the state.

The Kwara State Commissioner for Agriculture Delivering Her Opening Remarks

Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Executive Director of DGI Foundation, Dr. Gafar Alawode, called on the government, donors, implementing partners, and farmers’ associations to support the animal husbandry value chain to transform smallholder farmers into commercial farmers. He stressed that capacity building is essential but insufficient to transform the animal husbandry value chain. Therefore, DGI will continue to work with the government at all levels, ICCIMA, donors, implementing partners and well-meaning indigenes of the area to support the smallholder farmers to access funding, equipment and other support that will help the participants to transform the knowledge gained to practice.

Dr. Gafar Alawode delivering his welcome remarks

The participants were selected from almost all the communities in Oyun and Offa LGAs, and they will be encouraged to form a cooperative association in order to promote knowledge exchange and enhanced access to opportunities after the training.