Group empowers Nigerian women through cassava

THE Rural Women Foundation, RWF, a non-governmental organization, has embarked on economic empowerment of Nigerian women through diverse utilization of cassava to enhance their improved and sustainable livelihood.

Director of RWF, Dr. Ngozi Ajonu said at Ukpo in Dunukofia local government area of Anambra State that the organization’s ultimate objective is to set up a cassava flour processing plant that would provide employment in selected communities in some states in the Eastern and Northern parts of Nigeria.

 

She said: "RWF began its journey to make this objective possible through collaboration with IITA, Ibadan and participating in a series of trainings on group management, savings and credit, marketing skills, record keeping, enterprise management, food quality and safety standards, machinery maintenance and operation. 

"This was followed by the identification of a group of women cooperative group in a cassava growing community in Abia State, training and forming this group into a properly registered cooperative grouping and seeking for funding to begin a collaborative activity on the cassava factory.

 

"RWF also prepared and submitted a business plan for the cassava factory which was submitted to IITA and it received funding from Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) with the goal of diversifying and strengthening rural economy in selected geo-political zones using cassava as the engine for growth.

 

"Backed by the experience from IITA and supervision by the Foundation, the factory produced and packaged high quality cassava fufu flour that was above average in quality  than what existed in the market."

 

She said that in addition to the production of the fufu flour, the factory also provided other services such as grating and pressing of cassava mash used in garri production.

She also explained that the Foundation has acquired five hectares of farm land at Chikuku Soho in Kwali Area Council in Abuja FCT which would be used to plant maize and cassava with stems received from IITA, adding that RWF's medium term goal is to set up a small scale cassava processing factory in the area. 

Ajonu explained that RWF is also collaborating with Stichting Rural Women Foundation (SRWF) in the Netherlands to raise funds, which would be used to install boreholes and new toilet buildings for selected schools starting in Anambra and Imo states, adding that the first activity under the collaboration was the construction of a solar-powered borehole and toilet blocks at Ukpo Central School in Anambra State.

 She said further that RWF would begin the support to vulnerable households in Sokoto and the FCT in partnership with the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and funding from USAID, adding that it is a multi-sector approach project that would help 42,000 very poor households grow their agricultural production.