Firm lauds empowerment of 3,000 women in Ogun

AMO Farm Sieberer Hatchery Limited has lauded the Governor Ibikunle Amosun led administration for alleviating poverty, improving the living standards of rural women as well as making them economically independent through its Noiler Birds Empowerment Programme.

Speaking during the second phase of Noiler Birds Activation and Distribution in Ogun State, the company’s Group Managing Director, Dr. Ayoola Oduntan, noted that the programme, which saw 3,000 rural women empowered with 35,000 Noiler birds across the three senatorial districts, was a testament to the commitment of the state government to the development of agriculture.

Restating his company’s resolve to rural dwellers’ empowerment and identification with the success story in Ogun, Oduntan stated that the gesture was an expansion of the first phase where 1,000 rural women benefitted from 10,000 of the birds in partnership with British American Tobacco Nigeria.

Noiler is sufficiently potent to reduce childhood stunting, infant mortality and maternal mortality. It also tackles poverty and malnutrition.In a statement, previous beneficiaries of smallholder farms confirmed fact that the Noiler bird, a dual-purpose breed, is suitable for backyard rearing. It further noted that the Noiler Project’s objectives were to increase rural women’s income, improve households’ nutrition and increase women’s productivity among others. This, according to the release, reduces poverty among rural dwellers by improving quality of life through meat and egg production.

“It has taken 15 years of work and investment to develop Noiler. Its uniqueness as a Nigerian product resulted in it being named Noiler to celebrate Nigeria.“The Noiler Bird is a dual purpose bird that grows quickly and bigger than the native birds, lay more than the native birds but most importantly, it would survive in rural backyard environment with fewer resources,” Oduntan said.

He noted that the Noiler birds are easy and cheap to rear because of their ability to feed on remnants from the kitchen and farms and have been successful in diverse backgrounds from Maiduguri to Yenagoa.

“It can lay four times the number of eggs the local birds lay and can grow two and half times bigger. Poultry feed constitutes 70 per cent of farmers’ expenses in running a poultry business in the country but with the Noiler initiative, farmers spend less on feed as Noiler birds can feed and survive on household remnants,” he added.