The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) says no fewer than 3,700 youths nationwide will benefit from its Sustainable Agricultural Development Scheme (SADTS) training.
The Acting Director General, NDE, Mr Abubakar Nuhu-Fikpo disclosed this on Thursday, in Kano, while addressing 100 beneficiaries.
Nuhu-Fikpo, represented by Hajiya Hauwa Ibrahim, said no fewer than 100 participants were selected from each of the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.
According to him, the training, conducted by the directorate’s Rural Employment Promotion (REP) department, was part of the federal government’s efforts to reduce unemployment in the country.
He described the REP as one of the core programme departments of the NDE charged with designing schemes to combat mass unemployment, through agricultural value chains.
“The REP Programme was designed to generate rural employment and improve incomes through agribusiness engagements.
“Promoting the adoption of improved technologies in post-harvest handling, storage and processing and promoting other non-farm rural employment activities in order to stem rural-urban drift.
“Therefore, I am appealing to you to take the training seriously and pay attention, as some people out there with their money are looking for such an opportunity,” Nuhu-Fikpo said.
He said that the participants would be provided with transportation fares and certificates at the end of the three months training.
The NDE, he added, was collaborating with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), through the NIRSAL programme, to provide loan facilities for those interested.
”With their certificates, they can form a group as a cooperative to access loans to establish their businesses such as fishery, poultry and field farming,” he said.
The NDE Coordinator in Kano, Alhaji Iliyasu Ahmed, also urged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the training.
One of the beneficiaries, Malama Qurratu Mu’azzam, commended the federal government and the NDE for the initiative, saying that the training would go a long way in assisting unemployed Nigerians.
“I am a BSc holder in economics, I graduated in 2016, but there is no work yet. Since my service, it is only me that knows what I have gone through.
“And this will be a great opportunity for me to have my own business so that I can be self reliant,” she said. (NAN)
