Poverty alleviation: 600,000 farmers, others benefit from NGO’s support

A non-profit organisation, Diamond Development Initiative (DDI), says it has assisted no fewer than 600,000 farmers with technical support, in its bid to reduce unemployment and alleviate poverty in the country.

Executive Director of DDI, Mr Adamu Garba, disclosed this at an event organised to celebrate the organisation’s 20th anniversary on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said that the organisation, whose aim was to complement the role of development agencies and donors, had also provided connections for no fewer than 2,000 businesses in the country.

Garba added that the organisation focused on providing technical assistance in the design, planning and implementation of various development initiatives in the country.

He said that the beneficiaries were drawn from 29 out of the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“Some of our focus areas include: business support and enterprise management, agricultural value chain improvement, renewable and off-grid energy support, youth and women-led enterprise support and agriculture, among others.

“More than 600,000 farmers have been assisted, while no fewer than 20,000 farmer-groups and cooperative societies and 8,000 off-grid energy connections have been provided for rural households.

“We also have over 2,000 connections to businesses. These are good figures we are happy about and we have also been able to work with over 60 off-grid energy entrepereneurs to provide off-grid energies to households,” he said.

Chairperson, Board of Trustees of the organisation, Dr Lydia Umar, said that the organisation would continue to provide developmental assistance in the country.

“We have the less privileged at heart because lots of our work are done at the grassroots level. We try to reach the unreached and we go to those places that are hard to reach.

“Lot of people have also been done in terms of introducing and providing solar system to many people. We have also groomed extension workers in agriculture, among others.

“We do not only intend to consolidate government efforts and what we have done, we also plan to expand as much as they are within the confines of our vision, all in a bid to reduce employment,” she said.

On his part, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, represented by Hajia Maryam Uwais, commended the organisation for their support in reducing the rate of poverty in the country.

“This is a commendable effort by the organisation, as it shows that they are in the right track, to ensure that they make impacts on the lives of the people.

“The government cannot do it alone. So efforts by organisations as the DDI are highly appreciated,” he said.

NAN reports that the highlight of the event was the presentation of award plaques to representatives of state governors, staffers of the organisation and stakeholders, amongst others. (NAN)