The training, done through the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), is part of the Federal Government’s renewed efforts to revamp the country’s agricultural sector, under its Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme (SADTS).
Speaking at the flag-off of the scheme, at Kosobo, in Oyo town, the State Coordinator, NDE, Oyo State, Mrs Olayinka Olayemi, said the initiative is aimed at encouraging unemployed Nigerians to take up agriculture as a means of livelihood.
Olayemi said the initiative would, therefore, create more jobs, ensure food security, and enhance wealth creation in Nigeria.
Olayemi was represented at the occasion by the Head, Small Scale Enterprise Department, Mrs Oluwatoyin Aiyelagbe. She declared that the scheme, “under the able leadership of the NDE Director-General, Dr Nasiru Ladan Argungu, has been successfully implemented in Oyo State, due to the collaborative support of the various stakeholders such as Federal, State, and Local Government, as well as philanthropists, seasoned experts, NGOs, and banks among others.
In his remark, the Director, Rural Employment Promotion, from NDE headquarters, Abuja, Dr Michael Mbata, who was represented by Mrs Beatrice Oruoyehu, said SADTS is designed to ensure that agricultural production and distribution systems provide more revenue from the farm produce, a better environment and improved quality of life for farmers.
Mbata urged the beneficiaries to fully engage the trainers/resource persons, in the area of exchanging ideas so as to get well equipped with unquantifiable knowledge, which he said, is vital in the value chain and tackling the impact of Covid-19 and the rising unemployment rate in Nigeria, headlong.
Also, the NDE Oyo, Head of Rural Employment Promotion Department, Kabir Adedoja, said the 100 trainees were drawn from the three Senatorial Districts of the state.
Adedoja said the three months training will take place at the Agricultural Skills Acquisition Training Centre (ASTC), Onsa village near Oyo town, adding that stipends would be paid to the beneficiaries at the end of the training, while certificates would be awarded to successful participants.
He advised the trainees to seize the opportunity of the scheme to acquire necessary agricultural skills, which would be provided free by the Federal Government through the NDE.
