By Abubakar Yunusa
Over 40,000 households across 80 rural communities in Taraba state have benefited from the PROSELL (Produce and Sell) project.
The initiative, funded by the European Union and implemented by OXFAM and Development Exchange Center (DEC), is designed to bolster food security and improve livelihoods.
Beyond its primary goals, the project has facilitated knowledge transfer, distributed assets, and introduced social protection programs in the targeted areas.
At the closure and evaluation of the six-year initiative, Mr. Hamza Tijjani, the Country Director of OXFAM in Nigeria, said the project has been a beacon of change and resilience for the communities.
He extended appreciation to Nigerian Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), along with various civil society organizations, for their steadfast commitment to sustainable development endeavors.
According to him, Oxfam and our partners embarked on this journey with a commitment to reduce poverty, enhance food and nutrition security, address gender inequality, and build resilience against the numerous challenges faced by our rural brothers and sisters.
“Through our ambitions, the project has been a beacon of change, resilience, and empowerment in the rural communities of Taraba State.
“This is because our dedicated efforts, led by our staff and partners, have resulted in impressive outcomes: A notable 83.2% increase in livelihood assets within households, enhanced production in livestock and fish value chains for 82.1% of farmers.
“A significant 55% of women experiencing increased access to resources and control over assets and the empowerment of 35% of farmers, particularly women, contributing to improved livelihoods, to mention but a few of the achievements.
“We intend to showcase PROSELL as a project and a successful demonstration that has significantly contributed to reducing poverty, improving food and nutrition security, and fostering gender equality in rural communities. The model the PROSELI project utilized can be replicated for sustainability by key stakeholders.
“Additionally, we will engage in collaborative discussions to develop a joint sustainability plan. The aim is to ensure that the positive changes initiated by PROSELL extend beyond its lifespan, leaving a lasting impact on the communities we’ve served.
Furthermore, we will spotlight the unintended successes of the project, celebrating the achievements that might not have been in our initial plan but have become integral to the project’s narrative.
“Lastly, we will collectively explore key learnings, acknowledge challenges, and brainstorm possible solutions for the path forward. The post-PROSELL intervention will be a focal point of our discussions, with a keen interest in fortifying the systems already established during this transformative journey.
In her welcome remarks, Helen Abah, the Executive Director of the Development Exchange Center, added that the program has been transformative, playing a significant role in enhancing the well-being of rural communities, especially the vulnerable.
The EU delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Temitayo Omole, called on the Taraba State government and other stakeholders to extend the program, emphasizing the need to reach more people and uplift them out of poverty.
“We think in terms of the overall achievement of the set objective that the project has done well; we have achieved milestones beyond what was originally foreseen or planned in the program.
“For instance, the project was originally designed to cover 40,000 households. As we speak today, the program has covered more than 40,000 households in Taraba state.”
Chief of Staff to Taraba State Governor, Dr. Tachi Williams, said a lot of people have been displaced, especially when you visit Ardo Kola, Zing, and Yorro local government council.
He said, “A lot of the people have been displaced as a result of banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, and other forms of adversities that have been met on the citizens of this area.
“The overall thing is that we are a state that is bedeviled by conflict, crisis, war, so a lot of livelihoods have been destroyed, and we don’t have shelter. Many people don’t have shelter. And as I’m talking to you right now, there are a lot of displacements in Taraba state.”
Meanwhile, PROSELL (Produce and Sell) project targeted 50% of women and 30% of youth to increase productivity and income for rural households in Taraba state.
