8th March, 2017
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
As part of activities marking this year’s celebration of the International Women’s Day, Edo State First Lady, Mrs. Betsy Obaseki Wednesday distributed 4,000 specially bred chickens to 100 widows selected from across the state.
The chickens which were locally bred by Amo Farms Limited, are capable of surviving any local condition in Nigeria, with each of the female capable of laying six eggs daily.
Mrs. Obaseki explained that during her husband’s electioneering campaign, he promised to adopt 100 widows by empowering them with monthly stipends, but she encouraged him to empower them with something with which they could make money for themselves.
She disclosed that when her husband bought her idea, she invited the management of Amo Farms which had benefited from a loan scheme she coordinated at the Bank of Industries (BOI), to bring the pilot project of the special breed chicken to Edo state.
Mrs. Obaseki said: “The theme for the celebration ‘Be Bold, Do Change,’ is a wake up call for women not to allow themselves to be constrained by cultural norms and stereotypes but to be more assertive and ready to contribute significantly to society’s development.
“Again, this occasion provides another opportunity to re-emphasise the need to dismantle the barrier which prevents women from realising their potentials and contribute fully to the economic and social political life of their communities.”
The Managing Director of Amo Farms Limited, Dr. Ayoola Oduntan, explained that the chickens were of special breed with the Nigerian environmental factors in mind and are capable of eating virtually anything.
He disclosed that his company would hatch no fewer than 1.5 million of the special chickens, adding that the company is proposing to build the largest abattoir in Nigeria in Edo state to process chickens raised in the state.
In his speech, the state Deputy Governor, Mr. Philip Shaibu, who represented Governor Godwin Obaseki, said agriculture is one of the quickest ways to move the nation out of recession.
He lauded Mrs. Obaseki for her foresight and innovation in giving to the widows means of livelihood.
Each of the 100 widows were given 40 male and female chickens.