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By Stephen Adeleye.
A training firm, Sunny DeLegend Services Limited, in collaboration with Kogi Government has concluded plans to train about 10, 000 youths on agribusinesses, tagged: “Kogi Agribusiness Festival”.
The Managing Director of the firm, Mrs Joy Amuta, told journalists at the flag-off of the program at Kogi Ministry of Agriculture in Lokoja, that the training would cut across all the 21 local government areas of the state.
According to Amuta, the training would expose the participants to “Agriculture Beyond Food” with numerous investment opportunities available under agriculture such as agric-fashion, agric-recycling, agric-costmetology, agric-health, agric-real estate, among others
She added that the training would enable the targeted youths to develop careers in agribusiness, help them to network with the outside world for more investors to come and invest in Kogi.
“90 per cent of what we use or wear came from agriculture; we want people to know that agriculture is not just for food but goes beyond that, and that one can actually become a millionaire through agriculture value chain.
“We are encouraging the youths to embrace this program across the 21 LGAs. we will connect them to where they can access loans, grants, off-takers and also link them to international organisations to fulfill their dreams.
“We will open the mind of our youths on how to channel whatever passion they have into agriculture; you can source your income from agriculture and use it to develop your passion.
“We are also partnering with Youth in Agric Business Organisation, Tehilla Shelter Foundation, Heal4Africa Initiative, and other stakeholders to bring hope to the people and restore the glory of agriculture,” she said.
Amuta commended Kogi Government and the Commissioner for Agriculture, for the collaboration and support to making sure that the programme achieve the desired success across the state.
She further appealed to the state and federal government to assist the farmers in the state in the area of massive land clearing which according to her is capital intensive.
Mr Kehinde Oloruntoba, the Kogi Commissioner for Agriculture, said the government under the leadership of Gov. Yahaya Bello, has made it clear severally that anything that would promote agriculture would be highly supported.
According him, agriculture is the priority of the governor because he wants to use agriculture to diversify the economy and create job and wealth for our people.
“I was in your program in April, and was particularly happy with the turnouts of the participants at the training, people listened attentively and you impacted their lives.
“Any initiative that will make us to achieve our objective in agriculture, the ministry is ready to support. It is on this ground that we promise to support the program in the areas of logistics for you to achieve those dreams.
“And when it comes to the full implementation, whatever is required of the state government to make the project a success, we shall do. We want to eradicate poverty in the state through agriculture,” Oloruntoba said.
He noted that the government had embarked on so many initiatives aimed at boosting agriculture and creating enabling environment for our people to engage in commercial agriculture.
“We are taking agriculture beyond subsistence level to commercial level in Kogi. We are doing our best at the state level to encourage our youths to go into agriculture.
“The fastest means of becoming a millionaire in Nigeria today is through agriculture because you cannot even quantify the percentage yield.
“So, we appreciate your partnership in this direction. That is why we say in terms of logistics like vehicles, and even fueling, we will be responsible for it as you go to interact with our youths across the 21 LGAs.
“We want to appreciate you on behalf of the governor for this great initiative and it is our prayer that at the end of the day we shall use our hands to count our blessings,” he said.
The commissioner expressed optimism that at the end when the government would look at their score sheet, they would be proud to say that thousands of Kogites have taken out of unemployment cycle by your firm.
Mr Sani Ogu, the state Commissioner for Youth and Sports, said that he was encouraged with initiative to commercializing agriculture in the state championing by a woman.
He called for focus and determination and never be discouraged, saying the ministry of youth and sports would continue to support partners that were ready to engage the youths for future development.
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