Job creation: NDE engages 1,850 unemployed Nigerians on agro-entrepreneurship business

As part of its efforts to provide job opportunities to Nigeria’s teeming unemployed population, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has trained and empowered 1,850 Nigerians on agro-entrepreneurship business across the states of the federation.

Meant to be a source of income to the beneficiaries and added advantage to the livestock production chain of the country, the agro-preneurship training and empowerment exercise, according to NDE, took place across the 36 states and FCT Abuja and was executed in two phases.

In a press statement made available to journalists in Abuja through NDE’s Head of Department of Information and Public Relations, Israel Adekitan,the Director-General, NDE, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu-Fikpo, stated that the empowerment programme was one of the many efforts of the Federal Government towards curbing the challenges of unemployment especially among the youths and women groups and to create jobs.

The NDE DG said, “The engagement of unemployed youth in goat production business along its value chain will play an important role in the socio-economic and environmental life of the farming communities in terms of income and supply of food for the local population and the country at large.

“Through the training scheme, the participants will be able to earn income, improve the livelihood of the rural people, create employment, reduce rural-urban migration, provide raw materials for leather manufacturing industries, enhance protein intake for the populace, reduce poverty and create wealth.”

He went on to say, “During the one week programme, the participants went through intensive skills development in goat production technology along its value chain using the revolving model of empowerment.

“Three states from each of the six geo-political zones in the country and the FCT were selected for the first phase of the empowerment exercise. Fifty people, mainly youths and women, were recruited for the exercise in each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.”

The statement noted that while flagging off the training exercise at the Agricultural Skills Training Centre in Bwari, FCT Abuja, the Director-General said that the Federal Government, through the NDE, has continuously identified opportunities for job creation in the agricultural value chain for successful management of demand driven and viable agribusinesses.

Mallam Nuhu-Fikpo informed the people that the Rural Employment Promotion Programme of the NDE, unlike other training schemes, was specially designed to generate rural and urban employment for the jobless and to improve income for wealth creation through agribusiness engagements.

The statement noted that during the practical demonstration of the training scheme, knowledgeable resource persons from relevant reputable organisations were engaged to expose the trainees to the practical management of goat fattening and breeding.

The participants were also put through many relevant courses which include management of goat housing, breeding techniques and methods, prevention and control of diseases, artificial insemination, natural mating, processing/packaging of goat meat, marketing of goat products –meat, milk, skin and waste.

The statement added that “To sustain profitability and viability, participants were also taught the rudiments of basic business training and record keeping. They were encouraged to produce business plans to enhance chances of sourcing loans from financial institutions for start-off and expansion.”

ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE 

• How Leaders Handle Criticism

• 2023: Tinubu Plans Budgetary Expansion To Stimulate Economic Growth

• DisCos Pay Over N212billion To NBET In 6 Months

• Stop Rates To Marginally Rise Despite N105bn Net Inflow

• MONDAY LINES: A Case For Yoruba Unity

• EDITORIAL: The Alleged Brutalisation Of Inspector Olorunsogo Bamidele

Commenting on the economic gains and viability of the training scheme, the Head of the Rural Employment Promotion Programme in the Directorate, Edem Duke, said that goat production in Nigeria is an economically viable business venture because of its value chain and high commercial production which have great employment potentials. Goat business, he said, has wide market share, with all its (goat) products in high demand.

Duke said, “Goat is a source of meat, milk, hide and skin and manure for farming. The skin is used by tanning industries for the manufacture of leather products for local and foreign exchange earnings.

“The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) recently introduced a spectrum of training for the unemployed irrespective of their educational level; this is to further address the challenge of joblessness in the country. Small Stock (Goat) Production Training Scheme is one of the Quick Fix Schemes of the Directorate which are designed to accommodate skills training that has a short duration.”