The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) and Synergy Impact Development, has organised a five-day capacity building programme for selected National Youth Service Corps members in Delta State.
The event, which was holding in the Nigerian Stored Product Research Institute Secretariat, Sapele, was formally declared open by the Executive Director of NSPRI, Dr. (Mrs.) Patricia Pessu.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Pessu informed the corps members and participants that agriculture was the biggest job provider in the country.
“Farmers were unable to derive optimal benefit for their efforts in agriculture, as a result of the Nigerian ecosystem.
“Millions of young people in Nigeria are either unemployed or under employed. The unemployment rate in Nigeria as of 2020 had risen to 33.3 per cent representing 22.3 million people,” she added.
According to Pessu, “Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute has a mandate to conduct research and develop innovative technologies to minimise post-harvest losses of farm produce and to also maintain food safety and security in the country.”
She asserted that through the training, participants would be exposed to the numerous opportunities in the Nigerian value chain, food storage modalities and creation of value for themselves and the society.
The state coordinator of the NYSC, Mr. Alao Olusegun, represented by Mrs. Bazuaye Gloria, said: “the programme is packaged to provide knowledge and skills in agricultural commodities.
“Participants of the programme would be equipped to solve the problem of unemployment among graduates in the country.”
Other speakers at the opening ceremony included the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Delta State, represented by Mr. Edwin Odiete.
He charged the corps members to put into practice what they would learn from the training and use it to create jobs and wealth for themselves and other people.
He stated that “education is not an end to itself, but a means to an end.”
The highpoint of the ceremony was the presentation of N2 million and a starter pack to Mr. Moraina Sikiru Boluwatife, a corps member who participated in the training held in 2020 at Kwara State.
Some of the beneficiaries, who spoke with journalists at the event, commended the initiatives of the Federal Government team.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents
In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. This report x-rays the lives and experiences of residents in getting clean, potable and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state… BBNaija: 30 fans to become millionaires in lock-in competition
Selfies, video calls and Chinese documentaries: The things you’ll meet onboard Lagos-Ibadan train
The Lagos-Ibadan railway was inaugurated recently for a full paid operation by the Nigerian Railway Corporation after about a year of free test-run. Our reporter joined the train to and fro Lagos from Ibadan and tells his experience in this report… BBNaija: 30 fans to become millionaires in lock-in competition
and then