NSPRI tutors corps members on value addition of agricultural commodities

MEMBERS of the National Youth Services Corps (NYSC) from Oyo and Kwara States have benefitted from the capacity building programme put together by the  Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI).

During the 3-day training programme held at NSPRI Ibadan, Executive Director, NSPRI, Dr Patricia Pessu, said:”The increasing number of unemployed youth in the country which the National Bureau of Statistics NBS) puts at 13.9 million youths as of second quarter, 2020 as a worrisome situation that calls for attention.

“To put things into context, Nigeria’s unemplyed youth of 13.9 million is more than the population of Rwanda and several other African countries. This youth population is also about 64 per cent of total unemployed Nigerians suggesting that most agile working class population in the country remains umemployed.

“With the reducing number of regular jobs opportunities by both federal and state governments and private sector coupled with the dwindling revenue from the oil sector, calls for the need for diversification of the economy.

“Agriculture is the viable option to diversify the economy. It remains the most promising sector of our economy that represents the opportunity for all and sundry to explore. There are various components of agriculture that are yet to be fully explored especially the postharvest value chain which young Nigerians can tap into.”

Pessu, stated further that:”It is expected that upon completion of your service year, this training would have equipped you not only with the knowledge of exciting opportunities in postharvest handling and value addition to agricultural commodities but more importantly with the required skills to transport ideas into sustainable agribusiness.”

Also speaking at the event, the Oyo State NTSC Coordinator, Mrs Grace Ogbuogebe, noted that:”The importance of this workshop cannot be overemphasised or underestimated because skill And Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, is the most recent programme aimed at tackling youth unemployment in the NYSC.

“It is designed to equip corps members with vocational skills while also develop their business and entrepreneur capablilities, the programme is desigmed for implementatin through in-camp and post-camp training. The components include: agro allied, food preservation and processing, ICT, education among others.”

Meanwhile, Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) has trained 40 youth and women in Kano state in post-harvest management of perishable crops.

Speaking during the two day training programme in Kano, the executive director of the institute, Dr. Patricia Pessu, said that over  one billion tons of food is lost or wasted every year due to post harvest losses.

“Nigeria produces less sufficient food to meet the demand of its current population of 206 million and yet out of the insufficient supply, over 1billion tons of food is lost or wasted every year. The highest levels of food loss and waste occur in perishable crops such as fruits and vegetables and roots and tubers”, she said.

Represented by the Eunice Bamishaiye, the NSPRI executive director said that agricultural production systems through effective post-harvest is a sustainable way of providing nutritious and diversified foods, especially among rural households in developing countries.

“Capacity building of farmers through training on agricultural and nutrition-related topics is one of the ways to improve agricultural productivity and increase farmers chance for success”, she said.

The executive director, who said that the institute placed her focus on the small holding farmers and the small and medium scale entrepreneurs in agriculture.

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