A non-governmental organisation, Victims Support Fund (VSF) has distributed agricultural inputs to 1,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) farmers to restore livelihoods in Borno state.

The NGO targeted IDPs who were smallholder farmers that were affected in the 12-year Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast.

The Executive Director of the organisation, Prof. Nana Tanko, who distributed the farm inputs during the weekend at Shani, said “This gesture was aimed at supporting smallholder farmers in conflict-affected communities of Northeast and other parts of Nigeria.”

Tanko said the distributed inputs included NPK liquid fertilizer, improved seeds, as well as knapsack sprayers to prevent pre-and post-harvest losses.

She said the distributed inputs and equipment would assist the IDP farmers to resume agricultural activities to enhance food production for self-sufficiency.

“We’re targeting 3,000 IDP farmers in Borno, Adamawa, Yobe, and Niger states under our agriculture support programme,” she said. “The Fund has implemented several interventions to support victims of insurgency.”

Other areas of interventions included livelihood support and women’s economic empowerment, provisions of hospital equipment, educational and psychosocial support services to the affected children.

Governor Babagana Zulum appreciated the NGOs gesture, said that the distributed inputs will restore hope to the farmers affected by the insurgency.

Zulum, who was represented by the Commissioner of Agriculture, Bukar Talba, said the gesture would complement government efforts in resuscitating the agricultural sector that had been destroyed over the years due to insecurity.

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