European Union (EU) Grant Project on Sustainable Development of Farm Agro-forestry and Fuel Wood Conservation System in North Western Katsina State:

This project took effect on 14th May, 2014 and was officially signed by the representatives of the European Union and the Ibrahim Shehu Shema Center for Renewable Energy Research on 12th August, 2014. The EU contribution to the project was 80% while the balance of 20% was counter funding from the University and the three co-partners namely: Department of Forestry, Ministry of Environment and Katsina Youth Craft Village (KYC). The project covers five (5) LGAs of Batsari, Batagarawa, Jibia, Kaita and Rimi for duration of 48 months. Dr. Abdullahi A. Mati is the Project Coordination Manager under the supervision of the Vice Chancellor.

The project is in its third year with records of tremendous achievements consequent upon which the release of the second tranche of EU financing of €1,822,042.87 was made on 17th October, 2016. And sequel to the recent visit of the EU Ambassador to the project sites in October, 2016, the EU had pledged its commitment to expanding the project on the requirement that the State Government fulfils its share of counterpart funding.

The project implementation for the second year saw the consolidation of the gains made during the first year in the following major activities;

  1. Mobilization and sensitization of farmers and CBOs on economic models of Agroforestry practices involving more farmers taken to Niger for excursion visit.
  2. Updating of Baseline survey on Agroforestry and NWFP processing
  3. Establishment of more private nurseries at the LGAs under PPP arrangements.
  4. Production of more seedlings by private nursery owners and improvement of seedling distribution to target farmers.
  5. Training of additional farmers at train-the-trainers workshop and sensitization workshops held at each LGAs on Agroforestry management practices in preparation for propagation of seedling.
  6. Improved design and fabrication of more efficient mud wood stove and training of local porters on production of improved wood stoves.
  7. Installation of new mud stove production systems at production Centres of each LGAs under PPP arrangement.
  8. Launching of NWFP processing Centres at LGAs and training of CBOs and cooperatives on processing techniques.
  9. Production of improved wood stoves at production Centres and PMU and mass dissemination of improved wood stoves to local communities.
  10. Design and construction of improved mud roasters for suya meat sellers at different locations across the LGAs.