The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) on Monday organized a five-day agricultural development workshop for 50 youths in Delta.
The National Daily reports that the workshop is a key component of the NDE’s Post-Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme (SADTS) under its Rural Employment Promotion.
The Director-General of the NDE, Malam Abubakar Fikpo said at the opening ceremony in Asaba that the objective was to generate rural employment and improve income through agric-business engagement.
Fikpo was represented at the event by Mr. Jinanwa Chukwuma, NDE’s Deputy Director, Rural Employment Promotion Department, Abuja.
He said the engagement could be in post-harvest handling, storage, and processing as well as promoting other non-farm rural employment activities.
Fikpo reinstated the commitment of the Federal Government to make agriculture a profitable business, and a key to long-term economic growth and development.
He stated that the scheme was targeted at empowering unemployed youths with agricultural skills to become commercial farmers who would in turn create more jobs.
The DG disclosed that the training curriculum was structured to include agricultural intervention policies and their impact on employment generation.
He added that beneficiaries would be linked with financial institutions and other sources of funds to boost their area of engagement.
The Acting State Coordinator of NDE, Mr. Sylvanus Onyeogo commended the management of the NDE for approving the scheme for the youth nationwide.