285 UNEMPLOYED YOUTHS ON AGRO-BUSINESS TRAINING IN ABIA STATE
Two hundred and eighty five graduates and unemployed youths drawn from the seventeen Local Government Areas of Abia state are currently undergoing a two- week training on agriculture. The beneficiaries are being trained in piggery, fishery, poultry production, cereal processing and storage as well as advisory extension and marketing.
The exercise put together by FADAMA III in collaboration with the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike and Abia State University is taking place at two centers in Umudike. Flagging off the training, the Coordinator FADAMA III project in Abia state , Dr Ezinne Otuka explained that the forum would help to build fundamental capacity and improve basic knowledge and skills of the participants in their chosen areas of enterprise.
|As graduates they would put the wealth of their knowledge to ensure that whatever they want to do, they would do it best.”
Dr. Otuka noted that two hundred successful participants would receive starter packs grant worth between seven hundred and one million naira depending on their chosen businesses. Also speaking on the occasion, the Vice Chancellor of the collaborating Universities, Professor Uche Ikonne of Abia State University and Professor Francis Otunta of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike commended the Federal Government for the programme and urged the participants to show commitment as according to them, agriculture had the potential to stabilize the economy more than oil and gas.
Some of the participants including Ikechukwu Onuigbo, Miss Favour Nweke and Onyedikachi Madu said they were happy to be part of the training.
“it’s a good thing that we should give back to the nation through Agriculture, thank God for FADAMA for coming to our aid at this point in time.”
“I joined FADAMA to help me grow in Crop and Root production.”
“I hope that it’s going to make my knowledge very vast in piggery farming.”
They therefore expressed the hope that the knowledge gained from the training would assist them to stand on their own and also become employers of labour.
PEACE NWEKE