Govt empowers Southwest youths on livestock farming

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has empowered 60 youths in the Southwest zone with a training programme on livestock farming. The training, held in Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti states, saw young people equipped with information on modern family techniques, disease control and processing facilities.

The Executive Chairman of FIRS, Dr Zacch Adedeji, said the agency partnered with Just Snails Africa, with the belief that having more livestock farmers will greatly impact the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Speaking during the Ibadan leg of the training, Adedeji, represented by Benedicta Akpana, a staff member of the FIRS, said it was keen on livestock farmers scaling up production because Nigeria has the potential to be the largest producer of poultry produce in Africa, thereby resulting in an increase in the country’s GDP. He added that the training was aimed at making millionaires out of Nigerian livestock farmers, thereby expanding the tax net.

“FIRS is sponsoring livestock farming training for the youths of the Southwest, we want to also empower them with a token to support their dream of rearing livestock, and poultry precisely.

“In the next five years, the trainees will be potential livestock farmers, start their farms, empower more people,” Adedeji said.The Chief Executive Officer of Just Snails Africa, Femi Donald, spoke to farmers on expanding and safeguarding their birds using technology.

Donald urged more youth involvement in agriculture to guarantee food security, and food sufficiency in the country. Two of the beneficiaries of the scheme, FunmiOgundogbon and FikayoAkinwunmi, said while they were glad to be more equipped with modern agricultural techniques, they needed FIRS financial support to expand.