The Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB), in collaboration with Niger Foods and Logistics Company Limited, has launched the distribution of farm inputs to teachers under the newly initiated Teachers' Farming Scheme.
According to the Chairman of NSUBEB, Mallam Muhammad Baba Ibrahim, this initiative is part of the board's efforts to enhance the welfare of its teachers. He emphasized that improving teachers' welfare is crucial for optimal performance. Represented by Hon. Abdulrazak Mu'azu Jikantoro, a board member, the Chairman highlighted that the scheme aims to provide teachers with an additional source of income, given the board's inability to request salary increases from the government.
Mallam Ibrahim expressed his satisfaction with the scheme's launch, noting that many had been skeptical about its feasibility. He urged the beneficiaries to utilize the provided inputs effectively and not to sell them. To ensure the scheme's success, committees have been established at the board, zonal, and local government levels to monitor the progress of each beneficiary.
Comrade Adamu Akayago, the state chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), represented by the union's treasurer, Comrade Garba Sani, praised the initiative. He affirmed the union's support for any program that improves the lives of its members and urged beneficiaries to use the inputs judiciously for a bountiful harvest.
Beneficiaries expressed their gratitude to the state government and NSUBEB for the scheme, promising to make the most of the opportunity to improve their lives.
The distributed items included 25kg bags of seed, two bags of NPK fertilizer, a bag of chemicals containing four different varieties, and a sprayer for each Cowpea farmer. Sesame farmers received 25kg bags of seed, three NPK and two Urea fertilizers, a bag of chemicals containing five varieties, and a sprayer.