By Dipo Olowookere
No fewer than 5,916 unemployed youths from 23 states of the federation have been trained by federal government in agro-entrepreneurship.
This disclosure was made on Thursday by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development headed by Mr Audu Ogbeh.
The youths were given intensive training through the Fadama III AF Project, in line with its development objective and the current Government’s Agricultural Promotion Policy.
According to a statement issued yesterday by the National Project Coordinator of Fadama III, the agency is presently making plans to provide starter packs to the 5,916 youths who underwent the training programme.
The participants were chosen after they applied online for the empowerment programme, which was advertised, “transparent and competitive.”
The Coordinator explained that the, “Idea is to introduce a pool of unemployed graduate youth and women to new agribusiness ideas thereby leveraging their energy, motivation, and innovation to strengthen the drive for the diversification of the economy and social change, and enhancing national food security.”
“Intensive training has been organized for 5,916 successful candidates from 23 satisfactory states that emerged through an open but keen competition, while provision of starter packs is undergoing processing.
“The Fadama III project has continued to update all successful candidates that have undergone requisite training, with regular information on the status of the disbursement of funds, through our web portal and text messages.”
Concluding, Fadama III assured, “All participants and the general public that the project is very much on course and that everything is being done to conclude necessary processes pertaining to the disbursement of funds to eligible candidates.”
Adedapo Adesanya