The training focused on hands-on practical training for smallholder farmers in Abakaliki LGA. It was aimed at building the capacity of the farmers on resilient and smart agricultural practices was organized by the Neighbourhood Environment Watch Foundation with support from the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL). The program ran from 11th of November to the 13th of November 2024 and had 40 smallholder farmers both male and females in attendance.
The topics covered in the training included organic farming, soil management, Organic fertilizer and pesticide production, Agro-forestry; forest conservation, biofuels production, and clean cooking initiatives.
In his welcome address, the Executive Director of Neighbourhood Environment Watch Foundation, Dr Okezie Kelechukwu welcomed the participants to the training highlighting that this training aim at stepping down the training of other farmers in their community. He emphasised the need for training noting that unsustainable agricultural practices contribute to climate change and noting that most rural communities are vulnerable to climate change and without building resilience in the face of environmental catastrophe from climate change will result in monumental losses to vulnerable rural populations. He charged them to take the training seriously to steep it down so that farmers in the community would enjoy good health and well-being.
Dr. Okezie noted that the overall objective of the training is to promote climate change adaptation and mitigation practices by indigenous communities in Ebonyi State. Other objectives according to him include the reduction of dependence on wood for cooking through training on bio-gas production using organic wastes and the installation of bio-gas cooking stoves in 10 households in the community. Other components of the program in the community include the planting of 500 indigenous crop trees and the provision of a unit portable hand pump bore-hole at Ohatekwe Edda community.
In his goodwill message, the Hon Commissioner for Environment, Hon Victor Chukwu, represented by the HOD, Climate Change Department My Gabriel Igwe-Ebi thanked immensely the organisers for this laudable program noting that it is timely in the face of global change and the climate crisis facing humanity. He charged the trainees to practice what they have learnt and to ensure the sustainability of their environment through regenerative and smart agricultural practices. He emphasised the Ebonyi state Government commitment through the Ministry of Environment to tackling climate change noting that the state has policies on climate change and charged the farmers to stop cutting down of trees rather to plant more and practice agro-forestry in their farms. In his words, ‘There is no better time to show commitment in addressing the negative impacts of climate change than now and we all must be committed to leaving a positive legacy on our environment”. He enjoined other civil society organisations in the state to emulate the landmark achievements of Neighbourhood Environment Watch as one of the reputable and frontline environmental organisation in the state and through their programs impacted positively the lives of rural communities especially the farmers.
Also, in his remark, the Former Coordinator of Enyidda Development Centre and Edda Community leader, Chief Michael Udenwe thanked the organisers and their sponsors for bringing down the training to farmers in his community. He noted that years back when Neighbourhood Environment Watch Foundation planted over 30,000 trees in the 3 communities in Enyidda Development Centre, Ohatekwe as one of the beneficieries has sustained the projects and the trees planted by Neighbourhood increased the value of the community and contributes to addressing the global challenge of climate change. He called for more of such training to his community assuring of the readiness of his community to promote sustainable environment and address food insecurity from adverse climate change impact.
Some of the Resource Persons who facilitated the training include, Dr Mrs Perpetua Okoro, Mr Ifesinachi Okorie, Mr Anele Okoroagha, Elder Emeka Ogazi, Ms Chinelo Oru and Dr Kelechukwu Okezie.
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