The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has trained 300 rural women on improved skills in processing and preservation of tomatoes to enhance food security in the territory. The women, mostly farmers, were drawn from selected women groups. The training programme is an outcome of the collaboration between the FCT Administration and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on nutrition improvement.
The Mandate Secretary for FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Malam Abubakar Ibrahim, said the training was in line with the on-going global campaign to promote the practice of organic agriculture for its nutritional and health benefits. Ibrahim noted that the ‘Hot bottle technique’ lays emphasis on the use of organic products in the processing and preservation processes.
”It is imperative to support the programme to bequeath homemakers (women) the skills that will help save cost, minimise loss and improve nutritional intake in their homes.” The secretary, therefore, enjoined the participants to take advantage of the training to improve their families’ food and nutrition security. Ibrahim said that the support FCTA had received from JICA in the sponsorship of secretariat staff for series of capacity building programmes in Japan had proven to be a success. According to him, staff and officers of the secretariat have stepped down their knowledge to improve the livelihood of rural women of FCT.
“I want to assure you that the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat will ensure the sustenance of this programme. “To this end, all the participants, numbering 300, will be given free complementary training materials, which include special bottles, tomatoes, onions and pepper to enable them practice their new found knowledge at home. “I express appreciation on behalf of the FCT Administration to the management of JICA for their support and also to our women, who have, no doubt, endured so much difficulties to ensure the wellbeing of their families.” Ibrahim disclosed that the Minister of State, FCT, Dr. Ramatu Aliyu, who was in the forefront of campaign for gender equality and economic empowerment for women and youths, had equally lined up series of activities that would improve the livelihood of women in FCT.
