Poultry Empowerment: 200 Anambra Women Receive 4,000 Noiler Birds
Two hundred women in Anambra State have been empowered with 4,000 Noiler birds under an initiative designed to strengthen women’s livelihoods, promote economic independence and improve household incomes.
The Empower-Her Poultry Project, launched by the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) in partnership with the Anambra State Government, was formally flagged off at the Prof. Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka, in collaboration with the Anambra State Ministry of Women and Social Welfare and the Ministry of Agriculture.
Under the Empower-Her Poultry Project, each beneficiary received 20 birds, a bag of poultry feed and veterinary drugs to provide the basic support needed to start and sustain a small-scale poultry enterprise.
The beneficiaries, drawn from different communities across the state, are expected to use the starter package to establish and grow small-scale poultry businesses that can provide regular income and support their families.
Implemented by Ecofield, the project seeks to strengthen women’s economic independence by equipping them with productive resources and the opportunity to build sustainable sources of livelihood.
Speaking at the flag-off, the Commissioner for Women and Social Welfare, Mrs. Esther Onyekesi, commended BATNF for supporting Anambra women through what she described as a practical and sustainable empowerment intervention adding that the initiative aligns with the state government’s commitment to moving women from dependency to economic productivity by giving them tangible assets and opportunities to generate income.
She explained that empowering women with productive resources goes beyond immediate assistance, as it gives them the capacity to build businesses, support their families and contribute more meaningfully to their communities.
She said interventions of this nature could strengthen household resilience and create wider economic opportunities for women, particularly those at the grassroots while commending the Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo for creating an enabling environment for programmes focused on women’s empowerment and welfare.
Mrs. Onyekesi stressed the importance of collaboration between government, development organisations and implementing partners in addressing the economic challenges confronting women assuring that the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare would continue to support initiatives that promote the welfare, dignity and economic wellbeing of women across the state.
