The National Directorate For Employment(NDE) has commenced training of 50 unemployed graduates and women on goat farming in Plateau State North Central Nigeria.
The one-week training from June 30 to July 6 under its Department of Rural Employment Promotion(REP), is being implemented in 18 states across the Nation
At the flag off training in Jos, the Director of Rural Employment Promotion Dr. Michael Mbata said the training was aimed at reducing poverty in the country as goat rearing has great employment potential.
Represented by one of its Rural Employment Promotion Officers, Mrs Anne Ita, he said the implementation of the scheme was following the success of a pilot test conducted in March in Katsina state.
”Three states were selected from each of the geopolitical zones. The beneficiaries are unemployed youths and women that have an interest in goat production. Goat production is an economically viable business, from the production of meat and milk and even the waste are all useful, ” he said.
He urged participants to take the training seriously to enable them to become self-employed, and also be future employers of labour.
Earlier in his remarks, the Plateau State Coordinator of NDE Mallam Ibrahim Abdulaziz said the training would continue for six months on the practical aspect of goat production.
He said the scheme would make the beneficiaries self-reliant, and reduce poverty and over-dependence on white-collar jobs.
“NDE is committed to creating wealth. Goat production is a lucrative business with great potential for expansion because of the reproduction nature of goats which easily multiplies. The capacity of participants would also be built on business management, to enable them to access financial assistance through preparing good business plans, he added
He said the 15 resource persons selected to train the beneficiaries are experts from different relevant disciplines in high institutions, animal husbandry and agric-entrepreneurs.
On behalf of the participants, Mr. Miri Selbol said that the training would increase their knowledge of the improved variety of goats, and create more opportunities to access financial assistance for business expansion.
Dominica Nwabufo
