No fewer than 15,000 farmers have benefitted from the Smart Agriculture Initiative of the NNPC Foundation.

The beneficiaries received intensive training under the NNPC Ltd/Gte Vulnerable Farmers Training, designed to encourage agricultural productivity in Nigeria.

Emanuella Arukwe, managing director of the NNPC Foundation, said this during the closing of the training exercise on Saturday in Kaktungo, Kaltungo Local Government Area of Gombe State.

She described the programme as a national journey toward resilience, food security, and economic empowerment.

Represented by Bala T. David, executive director of programme development at NNPC Foundation, Ms Arukwe said the initiative exposed over 2,000 beneficiaries to climate-smart agriculture under the Gombe Cluster comprising Gombe, Adamawa, and Taraba.

Ms Arukwe said the exercise targeted about 4,000 farmers in the North-East, and 15,000 across the country.

“What began as a bold intervention to strengthen rural livelihoods has evolved into a nationwide movement that embodies hope, resilience, and sustainability,” she said.

According to Ms Arukwe, the programme is designed not just for short-term relief but for long-term transformation, equipping farmers with practical knowledge in climate-smart agriculture, market access, post-harvest handling, and agribusiness competitiveness.

While highlighting the inclusive nature of the training to ensure over 35 per cent participation by women and youth, Ms Arukwe said it also focused on improving farmer access to market, packaging, and climate adaptation strategies.

“In terms of health, safety, and security. We are proud to report zero lost-time injuries (LTI) across all phases and zero security incidents during implementation.

“This was made possible through close collaboration with key stakeholders, including traditional leaders, local authorities, and security agencies. Ensuring safety and peace remained our highest priority at each training centre,” she said.

Barnabas Malle, Commissioner for Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Cooperatives, lauded the gesture, adding that Gombe State witnessed a major transformation under the leadership of Governor Inuwa Yahaya.

Mr Malle said the ministry is collaborating with development partners to train over 5,000 women and youths in modern agricultural practices for sustainable development in the sector.

Some of the beneficiaries, Habila Bitrus and Serah Yakubu, commended the gesture.

They said the beneficiaries had acquired valuable skills to practice climate-smart agriculture in response to the impact of global warming.

(NAN)