Food crisis: NDE trains 50 unemployed on modern agric in Oyo

In line with the renewed efforts of the Federal Government to revamp the country’s agricultural sector, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) in Oyo State, has kicked off the 2024 Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme (SADTS)

Speaking on behalf of the NDE Director General, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, at the flag-off ceremony of the training scheme in Ibadan,   the State Coordinator, Mrs Steve-Ogundipe Olayinka,  said the initiative was aimed at encouraging unemployed Nigerians to take up agriculture as a means of livelihood, thereby creating more jobs, ensuring food security and creating wealth in the country.

The  Director-General  also thanked the Minister of  Labour and Employment/ NDE Supervising Minister,  Honourable  Nkiruka Onyejeocha, who made it possible for the agency to promote agriculture as a business that can attract unemployed Nigerians into modern agriculture in tandem with the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

“Today, we are here to flag-off the training I,850 participants, under the 2024 SADTS. These prospective participants  are drawn from the local government and senatorial districts of  all the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.”

He explained that the training will aim at creating employment for the rural communities through exposure on modern  innovative agricultural technology such as exotic vegetable crops/livestock production skills, along its value chain, improving the livelihood of the rural people, reducing rural-urban migration and expose unemployed youths to the huge potentials in modern farming, among others.

Similarly, the deputy director, Rural Employment Promotion, Mrs Beatrice  Oruoyehu, who  was represented by Mr Chimaobi Eleleme, said SADTS training  was designed to reform the economy to deliver sustained inclusive  growth and boost agriculture to achieve food security.

The director assured that NDE would do all it can to ensure that the trainees would be given adequate training to prepare them for future engagement as agriprenuers and urged them to  engage their resource persons, especially in the area of exchanging ideas so as to get well equipped with unquantifiable knowledge which he said was vital in the value chain as well as addressing the rising unemployment rate in the country headlong

The Head of Rural Employment Promotion Department, Oyo NDE, Mr KabirAdedoja, noted that the department had kick-started an intensive three months training for 50 trainees drawn across the three  senatorial districts of the state.  He added that based on the successful completion of the training, participants may be considered for the provision of facilities to establish agrobusinesses of their choice.

He advised the participants to seize the golden opportunity to acquire necessary agricultural skills which will be provided free by the Federal Government through the NDE.

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