The Provost
of Federal College of Agriculture, Akure (FECA), Dr. Samson Adeola Odedina, has
expressed optimism that the potentials of diversification into agriculture
can
ease out unemployment related poverty within three months.
Odedina
reiterated this at the opening ceremony of the two-week technical and business
training in agriculture value chain, under the FADAMA Graduate Unemployed
Youths and Women Support Programme (FADAMA GUYS), which ended yesterday in
Akure.
He said
young people with basic education and right attitude, if properly exposed to
proven value chain job opportunities and its attendant linkages, can sort out
unemployment related poverty within three months.
“The country
needs young farmers or new generation of farmers that can raise productivity by
applying technology that will make agricultural enterprises profitable so that
other interested youths can follow,” he said.
As a leading
agricultural training institution in Africa, he disclosed that FECA had trained
over 1, 500 youths in agricultural value chain opportunities in cassava,
poultry, aquaculture, maize and tree crops on behalf of stakeholder
organisations.
The Provost
said it would also expose them to success stories of youths, who are currently
benefitting from the college’s expertise in Abuja, Ogun, Delta, Benue, Cross
River and Ebonyi States.
The Provost
said: “If youths who have shown voluntary interest in agriculture and have been
supported by government with training and logistics fail to deliver, it is a
wrong signal to other youths and threat to agricultural development.”
State
coordinator of FADAMA III Project, Mr. Olusiji Olatunji, said the project has
disbursed over N1b to farmers in the state, while N400m went to various youth
empowerment schemes. Olatunji said there are 17 FADAMA youth villages aimed at
dissipating all forms of menace and social vices, as well as ameliorate the
tensed condition in the Labour market.
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