By Sani Adamu Hassan
A Bauchi-based non-governmental organisation, the Youth Adolescent Health Initiative and Counselling (YAHIC), has launched a women empowerment project aimed at supporting 90 women through moringa production and processing across three communities in the state.
The Project Officer of YAHIC, Mr. Tameshiya Titus, disclosed this during a news conference held in Bauchi.
According to him, the beneficiaries were drawn from Gudum Hausawa, Dass Fadun and Miri communities, with the initiative supported by the French Embassy Fund for Civil Society Organizations (FEF-OSC).
Titus explained that the project is designed to economically empower 90 women, including 15 women with disabilities, through capacity building in moringa cultivation, processing, branding and marketing.
He said the initiative responds to challenges such as poverty, malnutrition, gender inequality and climate vulnerability by harnessing the nutritional and economic potential of moringa to promote sustainable livelihoods and climate resilience.
The project activities, he noted, include agricultural training, installation of solar-powered greenhouses, formation of Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), gender-based violence awareness campaigns and facilitation of market linkages.
Titus further revealed that YAHIC has facilitated the establishment of a Technical Working Group in collaboration with the Bauchi State Ministries of Agriculture and Women Affairs to promote women’s inclusion in agricultural and economic policies.
According to him, the group is working to identify and address gaps in policies affecting women involved in the moringa value chain while safeguarding their rights.
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He added that the organisation is engaging government ministries, departments and agencies as well as community stakeholders to advocate for inclusive policies and stronger institutional support.
Titus said beyond production, the initiative also seeks to strengthen the moringa value chain by enabling women to process the crop into marketable products capable of reaching national and international markets.
He stressed that YAHIC is also advocating for partnerships and market linkages to ensure sustainable income opportunities for the beneficiaries.