{"id":49519,"date":"2024-09-23T14:52:10","date_gmt":"2024-09-23T14:52:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/?p=49519"},"modified":"2024-09-23T14:52:10","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T14:52:10","slug":"okada-riders-relocate-from-abuja-to-jigawa-embrace-irrigation-farming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/2024\/09\/23\/okada-riders-relocate-from-abuja-to-jigawa-embrace-irrigation-farming\/","title":{"rendered":"Okada Riders Relocate from Abuja to Jigawa, Embrace Irrigation Farming"},"content":{"rendered":"

A group of okada<\/em> riders from Garin Iliya village, Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State, who had long sought better opportunities in bustling cities like Lagos and Abuja, are now returning to their roots, choosing the simplicity and security of rural life over the chaos of urban centers.<\/p>\n

The riders shared their stories on Sunday after benefiting from the Nigeria COVID-19 Action Recovery and Economic Stimulus (NG-CARES) program, specifically through its FADAMA support initiative in Taura LGA. This program is designed to empower vulnerable households and small-scale farmers by providing tools and resources for sustainable agriculture.<\/p>\n

For years, many young men from Garin Iliya felt compelled to leave their families behind and head for cities like Abuja and Lagos, hoping to make a living as motorcycle taxi operators, commonly known as okada<\/em> riders. The allure of city life, however, quickly faded for many, as they faced constant dangers and instability.<\/p>\n

Malam Ibrahim, one of the returning riders, shared his harrowing experiences during his years in the cities. “I worked as an okada<\/em> rider for several years, but it was a constant struggle. There was always the risk of accidents, and we had to deal with frequent police harassment. Sometimes, they would seize our bikes. It was risky, stressful, and kept me away from my family,” Ibrahim said.<\/p>\n

However, thanks to the support from Jigawa FADAMA CARES, Ibrahim has been provided with a water pump machine to kickstart irrigation farming. This opportunity allows him to farm year-round, independent of the rainy season, and he is optimistic about the future.<\/p>\n

“What I will be making from my farm will be far better than what I was earning in Lagos or Abuja. Now, I can be with my family and make a decent living without all the stress and risks of city life,” Ibrahim added.<\/p>\n

Another beneficiary, Musa, echoed Ibrahim\u2019s sentiments, emphasizing the newfound stability and peace of mind that irrigation farming brings. “The city life is behind me now. With this new source of income, I can provide for my family while staying here in the village. Farming will not only secure my future but also allow me to live a happy and peaceful life with my loved ones,” Musa noted.<\/p>\n

The State Program Coordinator for NG-CARES, Umar Idris, highlighted the importance of the project, explaining that its primary goal is to help vulnerable households, particularly those heavily affected by the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We aim to provide support to small-scale farmers and households through initiatives like irrigation farming. This will help them achieve sustainable livelihoods and reduce the need to seek uncertain opportunities in faraway cities,” Idris said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A group of okada riders from Garin Iliya village, Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State, who had long sought better opportunities in bustling cities like Lagos and Abuja, are now returning to their roots, choosing the simplicity and security of rural life over the chaos of urban centers. The riders shared their stories on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":46470,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[172],"tags":[59],"class_list":["post-49519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-featured"],"aioseo_notices":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49519","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49519"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49519\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49520,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49519\/revisions\/49520"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46470"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49519"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49519"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/abujacityjournal.com\/livenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49519"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}