In continuation of his avowed commitment to distributing democratic dividends through human capital development and empowerment, Senator Aniekan Bassey, representing Akwa Ibom North-East senatorial district has embarked on a two-day training for his constituents in agriculture production.
The training, which aimed at boosting grassroots empowerment, food security, and economic development in Akwa Ibom State, will showcase oil palm farming as a critical sector in Nigeria’s agro-economy with massive potential for wealth creation.
Flagging off the event, chairman of Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area of the state, Edidiong Inyang, who emphasised that the event was specifically organised for grassroots coordinators across the senatorial district, said: “the training was structured to impart on the beneficiaries technical knowledge in oil palm cultivation, maintenance and the broader value chain, including harvesting, processing and marketing.”
The chairman, while urging participants to take full advantage of the training, enumerated its benefits, which include economic empowerment, job creation, skills acquisition, sustainable livelihoods, and agripreneurship promotion.
In his remarks, the Director General of Team Aniekan Bassey, Obong Godwin Awah, informed participants that the training programme aligned with both state and national objectives of diversifying the economy away from crude oil dependence, leveraging agriculture as a core alternative.
Highlighting the focus of Senator Bassey in the area of food security and industrial growth, Awah said: “Higher palm oil production will reduce reliance on imports, lower prices of local products and provide raw materials for agro-allied industries, promoting industrialisation in the state.
On his part, the Director of the programme, Desmond Etim, said participants at the training will be empowered with start-up capital (seed money) and palm seedlings, enabling them to immediately translate the knowledge into practical farming enterprises.
One of the resource persons, Mr. Ernest Awakessien of the Ministry of Agriculture, who took participants through practical sessions, said that as the training progresses and participants begin implementation, the long-term impact is expected to continually position Akwa Ibom as a leading state in oil palm production and agribusiness in Nigeria.
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