Pulse.ng : IWD: Palm Valley Nigeria Ltd, WOFAN celebrates rural women in Kaduna in grand style, harps on self development

By Sani Idris

Two organisations, Palm Valley Nigerian Limited, and Women Farmers Advancement Network (WOFAN), in commemoration of the 2024 International Women's Day (IWD) has celebrated rural women in Kaduna in grand style, while harping on the importance of self-development.

The theme of the 2024 IWD is "Invest in women: accelerate progress".

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that WOFAN, in collaboration with Palm Valley Nigeria Limited is implementing the WOFAN ICON2 project and being funded by Mastercard Foundation.

The project is strategically designed to drive sustainable agricultural growth and economic development in Benue, Nasarawa, and Kaduna States in Nigeria.

The ICON2 aims to strengthen agricultural enterprise value chains, generate employment opportunities, and enhance income for women and youth farmers and processors.

With a focus on fostering a positive perception of agriculture as a viable source of income, the project seeks to improve access to financial products and services for individual farmers through cooperative structures.

The women, who cut across clusters of agricultural enterprise value chain, were drawn from Kachia, Zango Kataf, Jaba, Kagarko, Jama'a, and Kaura LGAs of the state.

Speaking to NAN at the IWD celebration on Friday in Zangon Kataf, LGA of Kaduna State, the Project Manager and CEO of Palm Valley Nigeria Ltd. Mr. Ezekiel Jatau, said the organisation has projects in the community which directly affects the lives of the women.

Jatau, represented by Mrs Iveren Igbudu, the State Team Lead, Kaduna, Team one of Palm Valley Nigerian Limited, added that the women were left with different households responsibilities and therefore needed to enculcate the habit of individual savings or in cooperative.

Jatau also restated their committment to inclusivity, adding that they carry Persons With Disabilities along in their activities and other marginalised groups.

He disclosed that the organisation, had built 18 makeshift centres across LGAs of the state, which are equipped with rice and maize processing machines.

The Project Manager added that the organisations also thought the women waste processing and briquettes making.

He urged the women to prioritise their self development, while also calling on the society specifically men to support them to grow beyond where the society has placed them.

One of the women, Rebecca Habila, a Mega Cluster Leader, stated the importance of savings.

She lamenented that many men were incapable of shouldering their households responsibilities, where the women pick it up inorder to safe the families from hunger.

Habila therefore said women needed all the encouragement and support in the society in order to keep up with the challenges of life.(NAN)