The initiative will provide the benefiting women with moringa seedlings and farming resources over a ten-year period.
Katsina State First Lady, Zulaihat Dikko Radda, has launched sustainable moringa farming with targets to empower over 3.6 million women across all local government areas in the state.
The initiative, launched under her Safe Space Humanitarian Initiative (SASHIN) in partnership with the Katsina State Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, will provide women with moringa seedlings and farming resources over a ten-year period.
"Agriculture is the key to overcoming challenges of food insecurity, malnutrition, poverty and unemployment," said Mrs Zulaihat Radda during the launch ceremony.
"This project is not just about farming, but about creating a way for us to be economically independent, especially our women and youth," the First Lady added.Mrs Zulaihat Radda announced that the programme includes performance incentives, with participating women eligible to receive N50,000 after successfully nurturing their trees over a three-month period. "The initiative aims to achieve monthly production targets of 34 tons of moringa leaves and quarterly production of 50 tons of seeds," she projected.
Also, in her remarks, Hajiya Zulaihat, "To ensure sustainability, SASHIN will facilitate partnerships between beneficiaries and both local and international markets for regular purchase of moringa products. She also emphasised that comprehensive training and market access support will be provided to all participants."
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The launch follows SASHIN's recent agricultural support programme that provided farming and herbal products to 200 women across Katsina State.
"Through SASHIN, we have been empowering women by giving them tools that can help them to build better futures for their families and be strong support for their husbands," Mrs Zulaihat Radda concluded.
In his address, the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Livestock Development, Ahmed Mohammed, said, "The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development is working closely with the SASHIN to ensure the programme's success in promoting economic empowerment through moringa farming."
Mr Mohammed, a professor, explained the programme's components, which include "seedling selection, planting, watering, harvesting, sun-drying, and packaging of moringa for both local and international markets."
Similarly, the Commissioner stressed moringa's suitability for the region, noting, "It is a highly nutritious and versatile crop that thrives in our climate.
"With the unwavering support of the Katsina State Government and our development partner, we will ensure that this programme achieves its intended impact," Mr Mohammed assured.
He encouraged beneficiaries to "take full advantage of this opportunity and contribute to the agricultural transformation of the state."
