BY JULIET EKWENUGO
Kaduna
As part of its efforts towards improving child nutrition and education, the Confederation of Traditional Stock Breeders’ Organization (CORET) has targeted 1600 nomadic school children across six pastoralists schools in Kaduna and Jigawa States.
The Secretary General of CORET, Mohammed Bello Tukur who made this known yesterday at the launching of Integrated School Feeding Project in Laddauga, Kachia Grazing Reserve, explained that the project aimed to support the promotion of integrated school feeding programme for nomadic pastoralists schools.
He further said that 60 per cent of the beneficiaries are girls, adding that the project will also strengthen documentation and sharing of knowledge of good practices in nutrition, hygiene, sanitation and sustainable management of natural resources.
According to him, the project intend to create economic opportunities, economic integration for women in the six pastoralists communities.
“We want to reduce the burden of school feeding on parents and increase children’s enrollment in schools. Apart from Kaduna we are also looking at Jigawa, Katsina, Taraba, Adamawa and Niger States. We involved the community for sustainability. We want to run the project for 36 months”.
The Minister of Livestock Development, who was represented by his Special Assistant, Dr. Ishaq Bello noted that the project is timely, adding that it will provide nutrition for the children and build their intelligence.
“The project is going to provide nutrition for the children which will build their intelligence and also encourage them to go to school thereby reducing the number of out-of-school children . It will also make them productive and add value to the society”.
Earlier in his remarks, the ECOWAS Director of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alain Traore who was represented by Dr. Saater Kumaga disclosed that ECOWAS is implementing
127 projects in 15 member countries.
He however, noted that ECOWAS is implementing three of its projects in Kaduna State.
The District Head of Ladduga, Alhaji Ahmed Jibril assured CORET of cooperation for the success of the project.
The project which is being implemented in Kachia, Laddauga grazing reserve in Kaduna State and Maigatari Trans-boarder axis, Maigatari LGA Jigawa State was supported by ECOWAS Commission – Rural Agency Regional Agency for Agriculture and Food (RAAF) and Spanish Development Cooperation (SDC).
