In Defence of Sugar Cane Empowerment In Bauchi, By Silas Shentukwak Boi
Recently, the wife of a House of Representatives member representing Bauchi federal constituency initiated a unique empowerment program by distributing sugar cane logs to members of her constituency. This gesture this not really go down well with people, especially the social media, where the initiative was highly criticized. However, this gesture to me speaks directly to the needs of a community that relies heavily on sugar cane for livelihood. Many of the young men in the constituency earn their daily bread by selling sugar cane and this program offers them a chance to achieve greater financial independence.
To understand the significance of this empowerment initiative, it’s important to consider the traditional process these young men follow to engage in this business. They usually go to the sugar cane farms and obtain the logs on credit, which can cost over ten thousand naira and after selling the sugar cane in the market, they return the capital to the farmer and retain the profit. While this system allows them to sustain themselves, it also places them in a continues cycle of credit and debt, limiting their ability to scale their small ventures.
The empowerment program, which provides sugar cane logs without the need for upfront credit, is a small but meaningful shift. After selling the sugar cane they’ve received, these young men will now have enough capital to purchase future sugar cane logs from the farmers without having to rely on credit. This change reduces their dependence on external financial support and promotes entrepreneurial growth.
At the beginning, this type of empowerment may seem minimal, especially compared to large scale programs such as skill acquisition workshops or business grants. However, within the context of this specific community, the distribution of sugar cane logs provides an immediate and impactful benefit. It targets the root of an existing economic system that has kept many young entrepreneurs in a cycle of credit dependency. By breaking that cycle, even in a modest way, the initiative offers the possibility of financial self-sufficiency.
More to that , this sugar cane empowerment reflects a culturally relevant form of assistance. In many rural and agrarian communities, large-scale formal education or capital-heavy projects are not always the best solutions for economic growth. Instead, smaller, direct forms of support like this one, which acknowledge and uplift the local way of life, can be just as effective in empowering individuals to improve their circumstances.
The initiative also underscores the importance of understanding local economies and the dynamics at play. It highlights how targeted interventions, no matter how seemingly small, can create ripple effects in a community. These young men, now empowered with capital, may grow their businesses, employ others, and contribute more significantly to their local economy.
In conclusion, the sugar cane empowerment initiative represents a pragmatic approach to supporting grassroots entrepreneurship. By helping these young men move from a credit-based system to financial independence, it lays the foundation for sustainable growth. Although modest in its form, the initiative serves as an example of how empowerment, when tailored to the unique needs of a community, can have a lasting impact.
Silas Shentukwak, writes from Bauchi and can be reached via
08160803422
silasshen@gmail.com
