BUA Cement Empowers Farmers In Sokoto Host Communities With N108m Farm Inputs
BUA Cement Plc has distributed agricultural inputs valued at over N108 million to 211 farmers from its host and resettled communities in Sokoto State under its Resettlement and Sustainable Livelihood Restoration Programme.
The initiative is targeted at farmers affected by the company’s quarry operations and is aimed at restoring livelihoods, improving agricultural productivity and supporting food production.
Beneficiaries and BUA Cement officials pose for a group photograph during the distribution of wet season farming inputs under BUA Cement’s Resettlement and Sustainable Livelihood Restoration Programme.
Speaking at the distribution ceremony, the Managing Director of BUA Cement Plc, Engr. Yusuf Binji, said the programme reflects the company’s commitment to sustainable community development and economic empowerment.
Represented by the Assistant Director of Corporate Services, Alhaji Sada Suleiman, Binji said the intervention was designed to help resettled community members rebuild their livelihoods through agriculture.
“We believe that supporting agriculture is one of the most effective ways of empowering rural households and improving their economic well-being,” he said.
According to him, the company is focused on creating sustainable opportunities for affected communities beyond compensation and resettlement.
He added that the intervention would help improve beneficiaries’ incomes while contributing to increased food production in Sokoto State and across the country.
The company’s Director of Health, Community, Safety and Environment, Engr. Ali Gumel, urged beneficiaries to make effective use of the farm inputs, noting that they had received training on their proper application.
He said the company expects the inputs to translate into higher crop yields, improved household incomes and sustainable agricultural development.
Also speaking, the Programme Manager of the Sokoto State Agricultural Development Programme (SADP), Alhaji Abubakar Danmaliki, described the initiative as an example of effective collaboration between the private and public sectors in promoting rural development.
He said the programme would support farmers in recovering from the challenges associated with resettlement while boosting agricultural output.
Danmaliki added that beneficiaries would continue to receive extension services and technical support to encourage the adoption of improved farming practices.
The company’s Social Performance Specialist, Alhaji Rabiu Maska, said the package included NPK, urea and liquid fertilisers, improved maize, sorghum, cowpea and groundnut seeds, as well as pesticides, herbicides and other farm inputs.
According to him, the intervention was tailored to meet the farming needs of the beneficiaries and improve their harvests.
Some of the beneficiaries displaying the agricultural inputs received from BUA Cement to support increased crop production during the wet season.
Some of the beneficiaries commended BUA Cement for the support, describing it as timely in view of rising production costs.
They pledged to utilise the inputs for the intended agricultural purposes to maximise the benefits of the programme.
