50 graduates have completed their training programme on various ventures of agribusiness aimed at enhancing empowerment, self-reliance and food security in the country.
According to the Nigerian Tribune, the three-day intensive training programme, themed, ‘Graduate Youth Empowerment Scheme’, organised by the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation and the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Ilorin, Kwara State, in collaboration with Synergy Impact Consultants Limited, took the participants through agribusiness ventures, irrigation farming, fishery, poultry production, and marketing. Speaking during the closing ceremony of the programme and presentation of certificates, the minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. (Prof.) Joseph Utsev, said that the renewed hope agenda of the present government of President Bola Tinubu was determined to fulfill its promise to Nigerians to work on food security, improve the nation’s economy, health and security.
Prof. Utsev also said that the ministry is poised to help in the policy thrust of the present administration, saying that, “without water, there’s no life. “The present government with his renewed hope agenda promised Nigerians to work on food security, revise the nation’s economy, health and security. As a ministry, we’re working to provide potable water for drinking, sanitation and water for irrigation. Water for irrigation would be used for the production of food that would enhance food security. With food security, there would be food on the table of Nigerians, revenue generation for the government and employment opportunities for youth. As we see today, youth are being empowered to see how they can go into agricultural ventures and other activities that would empower them to enhance the nation’s economy”.
The minister advised the beneficiaries to put the materials and knowledge garnered, as well as tokens given to them as starter packs, into good use, “so that together we can support Mr. President in his drive to help good people of Nigeria”. Prof. Utsev, who said that the purpose of his visit to the agency was to have an onsite assessment of both ongoing and completed projects, as well as programmes and challenges, added that the visit enabled his team to look into how to operate facilities on the ground to maximum utilisation. The managing director of the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Dr. Adeniyi Aremu, represented by the Director, Agricultural Services, Dr. Muftau Moronfoye, said that the programme was part of the initiative of Mr. President to ensure food security for the citizenry and engage the youth actively.
Aremu said that the programme, which started in 2016, had succeeded in empowering past participants to stand on their own and make a good living out of the training in poultry, livestock, crop farming, He encouraged the beneficiaries to make good use of the programme, saying that their starter packs, which included pumping machines for irrigation farming, and chemicals, among others, were enough to make them start on a beautiful note. Some of the beneficiaries spoken with expressed their appreciation on the opportunity given to them in the empowerment programme, saying that, “we thank the government for believing in us”.
