NALDA Establishes Fish Ponds for Rural Women In Abia, Borno States
Ene Okwanihe, Abuja
The National Agricultural Land Development Authority, NALDA says it is establishing fish ponds to empower women in rural communities of both Abia state in South East Nigeria and Borno state in North East Nigeria.
The Executive Secretary of the NALDA Prince Paul Ikonne disclosed this while on a visit to the Abia state Governor Okezie Ikpeazu in Umuahia, the Abia state capital, south east Nigeria.
He said the fish ponds were being established under NALDA’s “Women in Fishery Programme”
Prince Ikonne stated that 50 of the ponds were being constructed in the Fish Village in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State.
For Borno State, Ikonne said the ponds were being established in 50 different locations, while about 50 ponds in 10 locations in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, would be inaugurated in October this year.
“The 50 fish ponds in Ikwuano here in Abia State is a programme meant for women and it is called Women in Fishery. This project is to encourage women to go into fish production.
“That project, as it is going on in Ikwuano, is also going on in Maiduguri, Borno State. It is going on in 50 locations in Borno to take in women into the value chain of fish production, from hatchery to growing, processing and packaging.”
“The ponds in Abia State are in one location, but 50 in 50 locations in Maiduguri, Borno State. This is because the governor of Borno has provided the land and all is set.
“As we speak, 50 ponds in 10 locations are going on and we expect that it will be inaugurated by October.”
Ikonne explained that facility in Ikwuano in Abia were being established in a fish village.
“It will have the hatchery, rearing, processing and packaging points, as well as the crop area where we will grow maize and others in order to produce feeds for the fish”
“But the one in the North is the entire value chain that has residential areas and others and this is basically because of the size and land mass that is made available.”
The NALDA boss added, “Again, NALDA’s mandate is to make sure Nigeria achieve food security and not only for local consumption but for export in order for the country to earn foreign currency.
He enjoined women in the states where the facilities were being established to take advantage of the ponds to not only support their families but also grow their local economies.
