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Transforming Lives Through Nutrition Project, Distributes Seeds to Project Participants in Ibiono- Ibom LGA of Akwa Ibom

 



By Aniefiok Christopher 


No fewer than 150 women farmers in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area have benefited from the distribution of agricultural inputs under the Transforming Lives Through Nutrition (TLTN) project, implemented by Helen Keller Intl, Vitamin Angels and iDE, funded by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The beneficiaries received high-yielding varieties of vitamin A-fortified maize, okra, and groundnut seeds after undergoing training on climate-smart and nutrition-sensitive agricultural practices aimed at improving productivity, nutrition, and household livelihoods.


Speaking at the flag-off ceremony held at the Ibiono Ibom Local Government Council Hall, the State Coordinator of Helen Keller Intl, Mrs. Unyime Ekpoudia, explained that the mission of the project is to improve maternal and child health and nutrition through proven interventions and by strengthening health and food systems at scale, with women and children at the center. She noted that the project, which commenced in 2024, has implemented various health and nutrition interventions aimed at supporting vulnerable members of communities within the project-covered areas. She further explained that, prior to the presentation of the farming inputs, participants were trained by Agricultural Extension Workers from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Akwa Ibom State Agricultural Development Programme on how to cultivate the high-yielding seedlings. 

She added that this was among several interventions that have been implemented in the selected communities over the past three years. She therefore urged the project participants to make good use of the opportunity by cultivating the crops during the next planting season, with the aim of improving their families’ economic well-being, strengthening household food security, and contributing to the overall well-being of community members.


Flagging off the seed distribution programme, the Chairman of Ibiono Ibom Local Government Council, who was represented by the Director of Agriculture, Mr. Daniel Doff, thanked Helen Keller Intl for the numerous intervention programmes implemented in the area. He called on the beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity provided to them. He pledged, on behalf of the Council Chairman, to partner with the organisation to encourage peasant farmers to improve agricultural production in the area. He also wished the project participants success in their farming endeavours.


The Programme Manager of the Akwa Ibom State Agricultural Development Programme, Mr. Emah Ekanem, and Mrs. Imaobong Jerry, a representative of the State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, commended Helen Keller Intl and its sponsors for the food systems intervention project. They noted that the initiative aligns with the policy direction of Governor Umo Eno to promote food production and availability in the state. The duo encouraged the beneficiaries to see the initiative as an opportunity to expand their farms and potentially increase their returns during the next harvesting season. They also encouraged participants whose farms are not large enough to fully utilise the one-kilogramme pack containing hundreds of seeds to share the seedlings with their neighbours.


Other speakers at the seed distribution exercise included Ms. Gift Alfred, Helen Keller Intl Nutrition Programme Officer, and Ms. Ntinwutobong Udoh, who set the tone for the programme covering communities across Mbo, Itu, Ibiono Ibom, Eket, and Ikot Ekpene Local Government Areas of the state. Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Esther Etim expressed her deep appreciation to Helen Keller Intl for the positive impact of its numerous intervention programmes, which she said had helped improve the livelihoods of community members.

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