160 selected constituents of the Edu/Moro/Patigi federal constituency, made up of indigent women and youth, have benefitted a variety of agricultural inputs after a three-day training programme on improved rice and fish production.
The beneficiaries of the improved agricultural training programme were presented with agricultural inputs namely rice seeds, modern fish smoking kiln, plastic fish tanks, grinding machines, sprayers, agrochemicals, motorcycles, farm implements, power generators, among others, after the training programme.
The three-day training programme
on rice and fish value chain, conducted by the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NBDA) and the Lower Benue River Basin Development Authority (LBRBD) simultaneously, had 100 beneficiaries for NBDA and 60 for the LBRBD.
Speaking at the end of the programme, member of the House of Representatives representing Edu/Moro/Patigi federal constituency and sponsor, Hon. Ahmed Abubakar Ndakene, said that the 160 youths and indigent women were selected across all the political wards in the three local government areas in his constituency.
Hon Ndakene said that his passion for the self-reliance of his constituents in particular and Nigerians as a whole inspired him to facilitate the training for the youths and indigent women.
The lawmaker described the beneficiaries as the most important contributors to the development of the society, saying that the programme aimed to make them leaders and contributors in the agric-business community.
He encouraged them to make judicious use of knowledge gained during the programme and items received to improve their livelihood, thereby creating employment.
Hon Ndakene, who promised other members of the constituency that the programme was just the tip of the iceberg, said that more empowerment programmes would soon be unfolded.
One of the resource persons at the training programme, Mr Joseph Adigbo, stated that the programme, designed for youths and women empowerment, adding that the beneficiaries had been trained in the rice and fish value chain.
Appreciating the gesture on behalf of other beneficiaries, Muhammad Khadijat from Lafiagi ward III in Edu local government area, Hamzat Suleiman from Pategi local government area, Kehinde Nafisat from Okemi ward in Moro Local Government and one Isiaka Abdulahi, who was among those who got motorcycles, prayed for the sponsor to succeed in his current and future political endeavours.