The NNPC Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of NNPC Ltd, has extended its Vulnerable Farmers Training Programme to the North, marking the second phase of the initiative.

Andy Odeh, NNPCL’s spokesman, in a statement on Thursday, said the programme was part of its ongoing drive to strengthen Nigeria’s food security, stimulate economic empowerment, and promote national development.

The programme is designed to equip farmers with modern agricultural techniques, covering areas such as climate-smart farming, organic fertilisation, post-harvest loss reduction, and enhanced market access strategies.

The first phase of the programme, held across the southern zone (South-East, South-South, and South-West), empowered more than 4,000 farmers with modern agricultural practices and market-access strategies, recording significant success.

Ms Odeh said this second phase would cover North-East, North-West, and North-Central geo-political zones, with training sessions scheduled to be held in six designated states across the three zones and one in Abuja.

Highlighting the importance of the programme during the official flag-off of the first phase at Nsukka, Enugu, Emmanuella Arukwe, managing director of the NNPC Foundation, said it aligned with the federal government’s agricultural transformation agenda.

This, she said, aimed to enhance food security, increase productivity, and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers nationwide.

“At NNPC Ltd., we recognise that agriculture remains the primary source of livelihood for more than 70 per cent of Nigeria’s population. Yet many farmers remain trapped in subsistence-level production due to limited access to modern techniques, quality inputs, and competitive markets. This training is designed to change that narrative,” Ms Arukwe said.

She stated that the goal of the training is to equip participants with the tools, knowledge, and resources required to move from subsistence farming to sustainable, commercial-scale agricultural production.

(NAN)