Sokoto: BUA Cement Boosts Farmers In Host, Resettled Communities With Over N100m Farm Inputs

BUA Cement Plc has boosted agricultural production in Sokoto State by distributing farm inputs worth more than N108 million to 211 farmers drawn from its host and resettled communities under its Resettlement and Sustainable Livelihood Restoration Programme.

The intervention, targeted at farmers affected by the company’s quarry operations, is designed to restore livelihoods, improve agricultural productivity and support food production in the state and across the country.

Speaking during the distribution of the wet season farming inputs, the Managing Director of BUA Cement Plc, Engr. Yusuf Binji, said the initiative underscored the company’s commitment to sustainable community development and economic empowerment.

Binji, who was represented by the Assistant Director of Corporate Services, Alhaji Sada Suleiman, said the programme was deliberately designed to help members of the resettled communities rebuild their livelihoods through agriculture.

“We believe that supporting agriculture is one of the most effective ways of empowering rural households and improving their economic well-being,” he said.

According to him, the company remains committed to creating sustainable opportunities for affected communities beyond compensation and resettlement.

He noted that the intervention would not only improve the incomes of the beneficiaries but also contribute to increased food production in Sokoto State and Nigeria.

The Director of Health, Community, Safety and Environment at BUA Cement, Engr. Ali Gumel, urged the beneficiaries to make effective use of the inputs, stressing that they had already received training on their proper application.

He expressed confidence that the intervention would translate into higher crop yields, improved household incomes and sustainable agricultural development.

Also speaking, the Programme Manager of the Sokoto State Agricultural Development Programme (SADP), Alhaji Abubakar Danmaliki, described the initiative as a model of effective collaboration between the private and public sectors in advancing rural development.

He said the programme would assist farmers in overcoming the challenges associated with resettlement while boosting agricultural output in the state.

Danmaliki added that beneficiaries would continue to receive extension services and technical support to encourage the adoption of improved farming practices and maximise the impact of the intervention.

Providing details of the support package, BUA Cement’s Social Performance Specialist, Alhaji Rabiu Maska, said the beneficiaries received NPK, urea and liquid fertilisers, improved maize, sorghum, cowpea and groundnut seeds, as well as pesticides, herbicides and other essential farm inputs.

According to him, the intervention was carefully tailored to meet the farming needs of the beneficiaries and improve their harvests during the wet season.

Some of the beneficiaries commended BUA Cement for the support, describing it as timely against the backdrop of rising farming costs.

They pledged to deploy the inputs for their intended agricultural purposes to ensure improved yields and maximise the benefits of the livelihood restoration programme.