UN Women donates rice milling machines to two communities in Dass LGA.
Amina Umar
The United Nations Women has installed two rice milling machines at Badal and Mbakwara communities in Dass local government council in Bauchi state to encourage rural farmers in processing.
Mrs Beatrice Eyong, UN Women representative in Nigeria, said that the gesture was to mark the 2024 Mark International Day for Rural Women with the theme is Cultivating Good food for all.
Eyong said that the machines have the capacity to process 10 tonnes of rice daily.
She further said that UN Women in collaboration with the federation of Muslim Women Association in Nigeria ( FOMWAN), and Women Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (WOWICAN) has trained 250 women on bio- Gas in Bauchi and Das local government councils.
The country Representative therefore said seventy to eighty percent of women contributes to the Agricultural labour force including domestic work and small holders in Agriculture produce nearly 80 percent of food in Sub – Saharan Africa.
According to her, UN women would continue to support women in uplifting their economic status and appreciated the support of the Bauchi state Government for providing an enabling environment for the organization to implement its activities.
On his contribution, the state Commissioner for Budget,Economic Planning and Multilateral Organization Alhaji Aminu Hammayo, said the state budgetary process was going on, adding that women should make inputs.
He said that a meeting would be held with development partners ahead of 2025 fiscal year,adding that issues around women interventions would be prioritized.
Speaking Earlier, the Emir of Dass Alhaji Usman Bilyamu, directed heads of the benefiting communities to safeguard the equipment.
He said the emirate council would not tolerate any form of vandalisation or theft of the items.
He said that the equipment would serve the entire local government council looking at the communities that benefited from the gesture.
Alhaji Bilyaminu commended the efforts of UN Women for assisting the rural women to boost their businesses.
In her welcome address, Ameerah of FOMWAN Hajiya Habiba Sa’a Usman thanked the UN women for the collaboration and called on the beneficiaries to utilize the rice Milling Machine in a good way.
