The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Office and the African Union Development Agency–New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD), in collaboration with the Bauchi State Government, have disbursed grants and livestock support to 490 smallholder farmers across 20 local government areas of Bauchi State.
The empowerment was carried out during an SDGs tour of the councils and involved the distribution of ₦5.5 million in cash grants and 108 goats to beneficiaries. The support is aimed at promoting self-reliance and improving livelihoods among less privileged farmers.
Speaking at the distribution exercise, the director-general of the Bauchi State SDGs Office, Mrs Lydia Shehu Gar, described the intervention as a major milestone in efforts to strengthen smallholder farmers and advance sustainable development in the state.
She said the initiative is part of a broader AUDA-NEPAD-supported programme designed to drive food security, economic resilience and prosperity through support for the agricultural value chain.
According to Gar, the SDGs office has implemented empowerment activities under the programme, including training SDGs desk officers, disbursing cash support, distributing goats and supplying agricultural inputs such as fertilisers, knapsack sprayers and seedlings.
She added that the profiling of smallholder farmers across all local government areas is ongoing.
The director-general disclosed that 30 beneficiaries were selected from nine focus local government areas, while 20 beneficiaries each were drawn from 11 non-focus local government areas. She noted that SDGs officials would monitor the programme to ensure sustainability.
In separate remarks, some local government chairmen commended the SDGs office and its partners for the intervention and pledged to ensure monitoring at the grassroots.
Some beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the SDGs Office and AUDA-NEPAD, promising to utilise the support in line with the programme’s objectives. The exercise covered selected councils.
