NDE to Employ 50 in Agriculture Entrepreneurship Scheme
The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), has said it would provide 50 persons from 24 states of the federation with employment opportunities in agriculture.
According to the agency, the individuals would be employed in the second phase of its agriculture entrepreneurship scheme.
The development was disclosed in a statement released on Wednesday by the Directorate’s Deputy Director; Information and Public Relations, Edmund Onwuliri.
The statement read, “Previously, twelve States had benefitted from a similar training exercise under the pilot phase of the programme.
“The training of Fifty persons per state will involve the use of chemical sprayers, herbicides and preservatives in agricultural production”.
“Trainees will equally be exposed to new knowledge in the deployment and use of improved varieties of seeds and seedlings as well as the knowledge of current government policies and initiatives aimed at incentivizing agricultural production.”
The Directorate further disclosed that the scheme would benefit no fewer than 1,250 people; as part of its efforts to boost food production and increase the number of agricultural extension agents operating in the country.
“Other objectives of the training programme include to generate employment for the extension workers, increase food production, stimulate the rural economy, remove drudgery associated with traditional agricultural practices, encourage food security as well as address the challenge of rural to urban migration among others”.
“The programme is expected to produce One Thousand, Two Hundred and Fifty qualified agricultural extension staff that will immediately impact the agricultural value chain in the benefitting states thereby supporting the policy thrust of the Federal Government which seeks to diversify the economy leveraging agriculture”.
“Furthermore, the newly trained agricultural extension personnel will deepen the use of scientific and technology-driven services to farmers which will guarantee disease-free production, high-quality yields and stress-free farm production processes”.
“The benefitting states under the current phase of the training initiative are Abia, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Borno, Bayelsa, Benue and Bauchi. Others are, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Ondo, Osun, Gombe Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano and Kebbi states. Also benefitting are, Kogi, Lagos, Nasarawa, Plateau, Rivers,Yobe, Zamfara and the FCT”, the agency said.
Agro Nigeria
