In a bid to further empower youth in the nation to be employers of labour rather than job seekers, a total of fifty (50) corps members from Kwara and Lagos States have been trained on value addition and post-harvest management of agricultural crops by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI), Ilorin, Kwara state.
News Hub Mag! reports that thirty (30) corps members from Kwara and twenty (20) corps members from Lagos States participated in the five-day capacity-building workshop held at NSPRI headquarters Asa Dam Road, Ilorin.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the training on Wednesday, the Executive Director of the Institute, Dr Patricia Pessu, stressed that, “youth employment is a critical policy issue that directly affects national food security and in Nigeria today about 40 per cent of youths are unemployed.”
The NSPRI boss, who said that agriculture is no longer an act, but rather a business enterprise, added that value addition to agricultural products is a viable and trendy aspect of agribusiness that creates job opportunities, increases farmers’ income, ensures an abundance of food and loss reduction.
She also said that the programme aimed to encourage self-reliance, and self-employment and ensure productivity among Nigerian youths, adding that the training had been held in Delta, Lagos, Kano, Kwara, Rivers, Oyo states and back in Kwara state.
The institute, which promised to support corps members with an approved business proposal with startup seed money, said that it supported three corps members with the sum of N2 million each as startup seed money following the verification of their business proposals after their service year from Kwara and Oyo states’ editions.
In her words, “Agriculture is no longer an act, but rather a business enterprise that blossoms every day due to recent happenings. Value addition to agricultural products is a viable and trendy aspect of agribusiness that creates job opportunities, increases farmers’ income, ensures an abundance of food and loss reduction.
“The main objective of this programme is to encourage self-reliance, self-employment and ensure productivity for youths. I sincerely hope that this training will translate into better postharvest practices among the Corp members and create employment opportunities after their service year.
“We have supported three (3) Corp members with the sum of two (2) million naira each as startup seed money following the verification of their business proposals after their service year from the Kwara and Oyo, states editions. This similar opportunity awaits any trainee of this batch who submits a promising proposal at the end of the service year.
“The program you are about to undertake is designed to open your eyes to areas of great opportunity in the post-harvest value chain, challenge and motivate you. The training package includes lectures and hands-on practical sessions which promise to be interactive.
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 requisite skills to transport ideas into sustainable agribusinesses.”
She appreciated the State Coordinator of NYSC for buying into the programme and for the release of corps members to participate in the training.
In her remarks, the NYSC State Coordinator, Francisca Olaleye said that the programme is capable of solving the food problems in the country, stressing that youth needed to secure the future of the nation through venture into agribusiness.
Mrs Olayele who was represented by the NYSC Assistance Director, Mr Oragun Adegboyega appreciated the NSPRI for putting up the programme and creating an enabling environment for corps members. She encouraged the participants to use the knowledge gained from the training to become employers of labour.
Also speaking, the Technical Assistant to the Kwara State Governor on Agriculture, Alhaji AbdulQuawiy Olododo urged participants not to hoard the knowledge gained from the training but, rather, to pass it on so that post-harvest loss can be reduced to the barest minimum in the country.
News Hub Mag! reports that participants at the programme commended the organisers for the training and appealed for its continuation in order to achieve food security in the country.
News Hub Mag! also reports that the training on capacity building of corps members on value addition and post-harvest management conducted by Synergy Impact Consultant Limited had been held in some states such as Kwara, Oyo Lagos, Rivers, Delta, Oyo, Kano and Kwara states.