Calabar– The Renewed Hope Initiative Agriculture Support Programme (RHI-ASP) has officially commenced in Cross River state, aiming to empower women and young farmers, promote household food production, and revitalize school farming across the state NEGROIDHAVEN can report.
Speaking at a media briefing held in Calabar on Wednesday at the secretariat of the Office of the Wife of the Governor, Bishop (Dr.) Eyoanwan Bassey Otu, the wife of the state governor, represented by her Press Secretary Faith Okon, outlined the programme’s objectives and implementation strategies.
The Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), a pet project of Nigeria’s First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, CON, is a federal-backed programme designed to enhance food security and promote sustainable agricultural practices nationwide. With agriculture being a critical pillar of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration, the initiative provides financial and technical support to boost productivity and self-sufficiency among farmers.
₦68 Million Earmarked for Cross River Beneficiaries
Dr. Comfort Oko the Senior Special Assistant on Administration in the Office of the Wife of the Governor, while fielding questions from members of the press present during the briefing disclosed that as part of the programme rollout, every state in the federation, including Cross River, has been allocated ₦68 million to support four key agricultural initiatives:
*Women Agricultural Support Programme (WASP) – Training and empowerment of 200 women in crop production, fishery, and poultry farming across the state’s 196 wards.
*Youth Agricultural Support Programme – Training and equipping 60 young farmers across various value chains, including fishery, poultry, baking, confectionery, and groundnut extraction (for those in the Northern Senatorial District).
*Every Home a Garden Initiative – Promoting household-level farming by empowering 60 homes with resources to cultivate nutritious crops.
*Young Farmers Club – Revitalizing school-based farming in 30 schools across the state’s three senatorial districts to encourage students to embrace agriculture.
Women and Youths to Receive Training, Farming Equipment
On her part, Faith Okon explained that the programme will provide participants with hands-on training and farming inputs. Women engaged in fish farming will receive 200 juveniles, fiber tanks, fish feed, and medications, while those in poultry farming will get 50-day-old chicks, starter and finisher feeds. Crop farmers will be equipped with improved maize, okra, pumpkin seeds, organic fertilizers, watering cans, and sprayers.
Similarly, the representative from the state ministry of agriculture and irrigation noted that the youth beneficiaries will be trained and empowered with resources tailored to their selected agricultural enterprise. Schools under the Young Farmers Club Initiative will receive starter packs to establish small-scale farming projects within their premises.
Collaboration for Successful Implementation
The briefing, attended by representatives from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Cross River State Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Development, and staff from the Office of the Wife of the Governor, emphasized the need for multi-sector collaboration.
The state government, in partnership with relevant ministries and agencies, will oversee the implementation of the programme to ensure transparency and effectiveness.
The Senior Special Adviser on Administration called on government officials, community leaders, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the general public to support the initiative, stressing that it will contribute significantly to food security, economic empowerment, and rural development in Cross River state.
Feelers suggest that with a total of 320 individuals and 30 schools set to benefit, the Renewed Hope Initiative Agriculture Support Programme is expected to make a lasting impact on the state’s agricultural landscape.
