My people, make I drop this correct gist wey dey happen for Ondo State. The Federal Goment don team up with IFAD and Ondo State to empower 14,800 youths for agriculture. Wetin dem dey call this big project? Na di IFAD/FG Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprise-Niger Delta Project, and e go jam for 100 communities inside 10 local government areas of Ondo!
According to Mr Olawale Ademola, the Ondo State Project Coordinator, dem go train these youths wey dem dey call incubatees for cocoa, cassava, fishery, and poultry production. Na wetin him explain during roundtable meeting wey happen for Akure. E talk say di first phase don finish for April 2025 but due to correct success, dem extend am again. Who no like correct free food and money?
For di first phase, about 4,182 youths don already receive training and empowerment. Dem don identify local governments wey go benefit from this program: Akure North, Ondo East, Ile-Oluji/Oke Igbo, Akoko South-West, Owo, Irele, Ilaje, Idanre, Ese-Odo, and Akoko North-West. E no go easy to keep plenty youths busy, especially for dis new phase wey go target 14,800 beneficiaries!
Out of this number, 5,800 go be regular incubatees while di remaining 9,000 go dey receive business development services. Na wah! IFAD and di goment don do plenty work for Nigeria, as dem dey fund diz project for six states of di Niger Delta – Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Abia, and Cross River. E mean say dem serious for agriculture matter!
Olawale no forget to mention say dem dey face some challenges like insecurity, some beneficiaries no dey serious, inflation dey really high, and literacy level dey low. But dem don set measures in place to tackle these wahala, so no need to worry. Di state Agribusiness Promotion Officer, Mr Bodunwa Isaiah, also drop him thoughts, talk say di aim na food sufficiency, generating jobs for di youths, and boosting revenue.
Even di State Rural Institute Gender and Youth Officer, Mrs Bolanle Akinyede, dey emphasize say di training goes hand-in-hand with di passion of di youths for agriculture. ‘We dey make sure say di beneficiaries get interest for di work because agriculture na serious business,’ she yarn.
Wetin we fit pick from dis whole gist? Agriculture don ready to power di youth for Ondo State. This na opportunity wey fit turn di game for plenty young pipo wey dey search for work. As dem dey go forward, we dey expect to see how dis project go change di lives of our young ones wey ready to put hand for agriculture. Abeg, make everybody tap from di gist, join hands for agriculture!
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