- Safiu Kehinde
No fewer than 15,000 farmers have been sensitised by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Foundation under its the Smart Agriculture Initiative.
The beneficiaries received intensive training under the NNPC Ltd/Gte Vulnerable Farmers Training designed to encourage agricultural productivity in Nigeria.
Mrs Emanuella Arukwe, Managing Director, NNPC Foundation, disclosed the figure after the conclusion of the training exercise on Saturday at Kaktungo in Kaltungo Local Government Area of Gombe State.
Arukwe described the programme as a national journey toward resilience, food security and economic empowerment.
Represented by Bala T. David, Executive Director, Programme Development, NNPC Foundation, Arukwe said the initiative exposed over 2,000 beneficiaries to climate-smart agriculture under the Gombe Cluster comprising Gombe, Adamawa and Taraba.
Arukwe said the exercise targeted about 4,000 farmers in the North-East, and 15,000 across the country.
“What began as a bold intervention to strengthen rural livelihoods has evolved into a nationwide movement that embodies hope, resilience and sustainability,” she said.
According to her, the programme is designed not just for short-term relief but for long-term transformation, equipping farmers with practical knowledge in climate-smart agriculture, market access, post-harvest handling and agribusiness competitiveness.
“We are proud of the lives transformed and the future we are cultivating. The real heroes are our farmers, their enthusiasm and discipline reaffirm our faith in Nigeria’s agricultural future,” Arukwe said.
While highlighting the inclusive nature of the training to ensuring over 35 per cent participation by women and youth, Arukwe said it also focused on improving farmer access to market, packaging and climate adaptation strategies.
Arukwe said the programme has been yielding visible results through increased cooperative formations, improved farming practices, and better market access in participating communities.
“Let us see today not as the end of a programme but the beginning of a new agricultural awakening across Nigeria,” she said.
“In terms of health, safety and security. We are proud to report zero Lost-Time Injuries (LTI) across all phases and zero security incidents during implementation.
“This was made possible through close collaboration with key stakeholders including traditional leaders, local authorities and security agencies. Ensuring safety and peace remained our highest priority at each training centre,” she said.
In his remark, Dr Barnabas Malle, Commissioner for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Cooperatives, lauded the gesture, adding Gombe state witnessed major transformation under the leadership of Governor Inuwa Yahaya.
According to Malle, the ministry is collaborating development partners to train over 5,000 women and youths in modern agricultural practices for sustainable development in the sector.
The Paramount Ruler of Kaltungo, Alhaji Saleh Mohammed, appreciated the foundation and encouraged beneficiaries to take farming seriously.
The royal father was represented by Habila Garba, District Head of Ture.
He commended the Federal Government for maintaining peace across the region and praised the Gombe State Government for its efforts in addressing farmer-herder conflicts and creating an enabling environment for agricultural growth.
Some of the beneficiaries, Habila Bitrus and Serah Yakubu, commended the gesture.
They said the beneficiaries had acquired valuable skills to practice climate-smart agriculture in response to impact of global warming.