No fewer than 100 unemployed youths in Gombe have been trained by the National Directorate of Employment, under the 2022 Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme
The training include; poultry production, sheep and goat fattening and market gardening.
According to the Director of Rural Employment Promotion, NDE, Dr. Mbata Michael, sustainable agriculture will provide profitable farm income, promote environmental stewardship, enhance quality of life of farmers, and community members.
Michael, who was represented by Nkem Ekeamadi in Gombe, revealed that the training would provide employment, wealth creation and food sufficiency.
He said, “This programme has been designed to help them in agricultural production and distribution system the goal is to make them profitable in whatever they dive in the agricultural field be it goat, sheep fattening or poultry production.
“The goal is to train and resettle them with loans, it is imperative to show utmost seriousness and zeal. I wish they will pay attention to the modern technologies because a whole alot of modern technologies will be opened to them so it is not about the conventional ways they have been doing things.”
While commending the participants for availing themselves of the opportunity to be trained, Michael urged them to show more commitment through participation and performance.
Also speaking, Head of Rural Employment Promotion Department of Gombe NDE Jediel Stephen said beneficiaries were selected across the 11 Local Government Areas of Gombe to participate.
Stephen said they were expected to show commitment, stressing that they would join the federal government’s efforts geared towards alleviating poverty in rural communities.
He said, “Every year 100 unemployed youths are trained and it is our hope that they will become self reliant. Participants were drawn from the three senatorial districts; across 11 Local Government Areas of the state.”
Commenting further Stephen revealed that soft loans would be provided to beneficiaries with outstanding performance, “At the end we will select few that are good or attentive or whose participation was outstanding we will settle them with loan about N100,000 each.
“It is our hope that all of them will be settled. I just want to encourage them to be attentive and so that their lives will change from the things they have been thought,” the head of department added.
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