National Directorate of Employment has begun the training of over 50 Gombe youths in the agriculture value chain to improve food security.
The training is reportedly offered by the Rural Employment Promotion department under the NDE’s Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme.
Speaking during the launching of the programme, Abubakar Fikpo, the Director-General of NDE revealed that the Directorate has been carrying out its responsibilities through sensitisation, counselling, de-radicalisation and reorienting the minds of unemployed youths to deemphasise the search for non-existent white collar jobs and embrace skills acquisition as a deliberate choice for self-reliance and effective contribution into the socio-economy of the nation.
Fikpo, who was represented by the Gombe State Coordinator of NDE, Mawa Lamu, explained that, “The Rural Employment Promotion Department is one of the core programme departments of the directorate saddled with the responsibility of generating employment opportunities in the agricultural sector for the unemployed youth in Nigeria.
“The major strategy of the department is training in modern agricultural skills and empowerment of the beneficiaries with facilities to engage effectively in agribusiness for jobs, income generation and improved livelihood.
He added, “The training areas of the department also covers agricultural value chain activities in areas such as production, storage, post-harvest handling and management, processing, preservation, packaging, marketing, agricultural extension, rural sociology and off farm activities as well as other innovative and modern technological driven skills in the agricultural sector.”
Fikpo lauded the Minister of Labour and Employment/ NDE Supervising Minister Nkiruka Onyejeocha, for making it possible for the Directorate to promote Agriculture as a business, stressing, “it is in tandem with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
“Therefore, it is my honour to express my sincere appreciation to the Minister for her immense encouragement and policy guidance of NDE towards achieving its mandate for creating mass job opportunities to Nigerians.
“You may recall that the Federal Government established the National Directorate of Employment to address unemployment in the country.
“The aim of the training will amongst others; create employment for the rural communities through training on modern innovative agricultural technology (Exotic vegetable crops/ livestock production skills) along its value chain, improve the livelihood of the rural people, reduce rural-urban migration and expose unemployed youths to the potential in exotic vegetable crops and livestock production farming businesses.
“Therefore, I congratulate the lucky participants of this training scheme in the 36 states of the federation and the FCT where this flag off ceremony is taking place simultaneously,” Fikpo noted.
Speaking as well, Beatrice Oruoyehu, Deputy Director of the Rural Employment Promotion Department, who was represented by Nkem Ekeamadi, further clarified that the training lasts for three months.
“It has been split into two phases to include experiential training (Theory) that will last for two weeks in crop/livestock production along its value chain, she said.
“The practical field adaptive farm training which will be for 10 weeks at the NDE Agricultural Skills Training Centre for state with ASTC or at alternative skills training centres.”
While urging participants to seize the opportunity to become agriculture businessmen and women, Oruoyehu disclosed that their successful completion of the training may afford them the opportunity to get facilities, “To my esteemed Trainees, you will be given adequate training to prepare for your future engagement as agriprenuers. it is based on the successful completion of your trainings that you may be considered for the provision of facilities to establish Agribusinesses of your choice,” she added.
