On the present scale, less than 80 participants are enrolled on the WLIAB action in partnership with SMEDAN, ITF and NABTEB; using an improvised facility donated by the community for a training center. The beneficiaries are enrolled in each training centers within the selected communities predisposed with our target beneficiaries for implementation in the northern parts of Nigeria. In a span of 15 months these women would be taught on the best processing practices on their predominant skill/line of business (sales of animal/plant farm produce) just after post harvest to reduce losses due to post harvest (primary/secondary deterioration) or as a result of the lack of sales of their commodities in their line of business (sales of agri – produce by processing of highly perishable farm produce).
They will be counseled in the line of processing business plan development and be provided with the required skills to adopt and use our drying technology for animal and dehydration technology for tubers, fruits and vegetables farm produce and by adopting our facilities to kick-start their business or sustaining it for making higher profit from their investments via sub – cluster cooperatives of 20 women each from the total target of 100 women per State across Nigeria, who would be selected as participants and end beneficiaries across the chosen States for implementation of the programme.
Increasing the scale on the action requires that more women enroll and participate/benefit from the training programme using facilities that would be provided in various geographical locations predisposed with our target groups. This proposal targets at establishing more processing units per sub – clusters of 20 women each with a total of 100 women targeted per State across Nigeria, however, replication of the action to a scale of 500 women who are expected to have participated and benefited from the training programme in due course, with a total of 200 dryers/dehydration systems donated to each sub –cluster cooperatives of kick start their processing units within their immediate communities. The action would run consistently with a targeted 500 women as participants for five years. Hereby, these beneficiaries would demonstrate their skills in agribusiness/processing and they will be trained not as an individual but as a group and giving them the guidelines on how their products would be duly registered with NAFDAC/SON/NEPC under the corporate laws of Nigeria.
Jessy Jay Int’l Ltd/JJIL Agro – Produce Storage & Processing Center empowerment scheme will also provide post training support to these women to evaluate and monitor the progress of their new startup or existing agribusiness. The purpose of the skill acquisition programme as a means of economic empowerment is to prepare and equip these women with appropriate processing skills in the agribusiness sector that can be beneficial in transforming them into wealth and job creators, the creation of wealth and employment will lead to poverty reduction and increase the welfare status of individuals.
This project creates a pathway for solving the problem as long as the training remains continuers, sustainable and all donated machines for drying/dehydration remains operational in each processing unit within each selected community in each State selected for the implementation of the project in Nigeria. still operated to enroll participants at variable numbers, owing to the present funding at any time. The WLIAB action plan would need effective partnership with its affiliates i.e. The State Government, Ministry of Agriculture, PLASMIDA/SMEDAN, ITF, NABTEB and the Apex International Multi Purpose Cooperative Society. They remain a key stakeholder throughout the entire course of the project in order to ensure that the results of the project are applicable and appropriate to stakeholders.
Other funding organizations, individuals, and stakeholders to approve, support, maintain, replicate and sustain the action plan over a longer time. This indicates that the project would create a pathway to reach a wider population in Nigeria.
