At least, 100 unemployed youths in Gombe State have been trained by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), under the 2022 Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme in the areas of poultry production, sheep and goat fattening and market gardening. According to the Director of Rural Employment Promotion of NDE, Dr. Mbata Michael, sustainable agriculture would provide profitable farm income, promote environmental stewardship, enhance quality of life for farmers and community members.
Michael, who was represented at the occasion by Nkem Ekeamadi, revealed that the training would provide employment, wealth creation and food sufficiency, saying “This programme has been designed to help them in agricultural production and distribution system for the goal is to make them profitable in whatever they dive in the agricultural field; be it goat, sheep fattening or poultry production. “The goal is to train and resettle them with loans; it is imperative to show utmost seriousness and zeal. I wish they will pay attention to modern technologies because a whole lot of modern technologies will be opened to them. So, it is not about the conventional ways they have been doing things”.
While lauding participants for availing themselves of the opportunity to be trained, Michael urged them to show more commitment through participation and performance. Also speaking, Head of Rural Employment Promotion Department of Gombe NDE, Jediel Stephen said beneficiaries were selected across the 11 Local Government Areas of Gombe to participate and were expected to show commitment, stressing that they would benefit from the Federal Government’s efforts geared towards alleviating poverty in rural communities. “Every year, 100 unemployed youths are trained and it is our hope that they will become self-reliant. Participants were drawn from the three senatorial districts and across 11 Local Government Areas of the state”, he added.
