Ebonyi empowers 77 youth on agro production, processing

To ensure adequate food for consumption and export as well as provide jobs for the teeming Ebonyi youth, the state government, Monday, trained about 77 youth on agro production and processing.

The fortunate participants, who underwent two months intensive training session, tagged “Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru Skill Acquisition and Empowerment Programme,” were trained on cassava production and processing; rice production; piggery, fishery and poultry.

Speaking at the Certificate Presentation Ceremony for (Batch A) of the programme held at the Masterskill Farm at Agbani, Enugu state, the Commissioner for Human Capital Development and Monitoring, Ebonyi state, Mrs Ann Aligwe, represented by the permanent secretary, Mrs Williams, said the training programme was organised to ensure that the youth engage in meaningful ventures instead of taking to crimes and social ills.

Aligwe said instead of giving the youth fish, Governor Nwifuru had thus taught them how to fish.
“The governor is concerned about the welfare of our youth, hence he came up with the skill acquisition programme. He did not stop at giving them fish but teaching them how to fish. They were taught piggery, fishery, poultry, rice and cassava production and processing,” she said.

The commissioner said the governor has promised that when they return to Ebonyi, he will empower them to start practicing what they had learnt.

“Gov. Nwifuru has promised that he is going to empower them when they come back to start practicing what they were taught. And that way, they not only will be employed but become employers of labour,” she said.