Lagos State launches Agripreneurship Programme for youths

The selected youths will be supported through the 2021 Agricultural Value Chains Empowerment Programme holding on July 29, the state government said.

Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya, made this known recently, noting that this year’s empowerment programme was to create an enabling environment for youths in the field of agriculture.

She stated that the selection of the 300 beneficiaries will include outstanding participants from the two programmes, adding that they would be put in incubation centres and be supported with extension services and by donor agencies.

“Essentially, this is like a pilot empowerment programme for the youth in a way and manner we haven’t done before.

“The idea is, we will empower you, but we want you to be within a location where our people can provide you with the support services, professional advice, where we can bring people with technology to help you improve, make better money and increase your yield.

“We have 300 participants, out of which 240 are for aquaculture and 60 for poultry. Out of the 240 going for aquaculture, we will have about 80 in the facility in Araga, Epe while the remaining 160 will be at the Lagos Food Production Centre, Avia, Badagry,” the commissioner said.

According to her, each of the 240 aquaculture students would be empowered with 700 juveniles, 25 bags of feed as well as medications, while the 60 poultry students would be given 480 point of lay, 100 bags of feed and medication valued at N380,000 and N1.8 million per participant.