LWAN National President, Hajiya Fatima Idris, stated this at the inaugural training on tomato processing held on Friday.
She said the programme was designed to empower widows to achieve self-reliance and sustainable livelihoods.
“The training would be conducted in two batches. The first focuses on tomato processing and packaging for public consumption.
“The second batch will focus on tomato cultivation using irrigation techniques, starting from seedlings to nursery and finally to the farmland,” she added.
Idris said the association had secured farmland and provided equipment to support cultivation activities in the community.
She explained that the Garu community was chosen due to its proximity to farmlands and the commitment of its residents.
“Our plan is for the farmers to sell their branded products and sustain the trade using proceeds from the farmland in a revolving system,” she said.
She appreciated project funders and called for more investment in programmes targeting legionnaires’ wives nationwide.
Also speaking, Mr Joel Timothy, LWAN Programme Officer, said the initiative was supported by the Development Exchange Centre (DEC) under the Small-Scale Project Fund.
He said the six-month programme would also establish Village Savings and Loan groups to promote financial inclusion among participants.
Timothy said LWAN would link beneficiaries to markets for their finished products and urged them to maximise the training for economic benefits.
In her presentation, Ms Rahila Caleb, a resource person, said tomato paste production was a viable small-scale business with strong market demand.
She advised participants to maintain proper hygiene during processing and adopt affordable packaging options to reduce start-up costs.
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