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No fewer than 40 participants in Iloffa, Oke-Ero Local Government area of Kwara, have benefitted from a training programme on Cassava Value Chain Development.
The one-week agripreneurship training programme was organised by Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) in collaboration with Mcgeorge Consulting, Ilorin, for youths in the council.
Dr Olufemi Oladunni, Executive Director, ARMTI, said on Wednesday that the empowerment scheme was designed to acquaint the youth on Cassava production and development for them to be self-sufficient.
Oladunni, who was represented by Mrs Abigael Eyilade, Head Women and Youth Division, said the participants comprised of 32 males and eight females across the 10 wards of the council.
He affirmed the capability of ARMTI in capacity building and training for youths and other categories of people in other sectors of the nation’s economy.
Oladunni said that the training had the capability to impact useful knowledge on the youth in terms of cassava value chain development.
“It is our hope that at the end of this intensive training, the youth will have gathered enough experience profitable in their activities and wealth generation,’’ he said.
Dr Olusola Ogunjirin, Lead Consultant, Mcgeorge Consulting, in a remark, said the training was prompted by the desire to equip the youth with relevant skills in business development and management.
According to him, such skills are needed to develop and transform agriculture in the country.
He described the training concept as a veritable platform to empower restive youths and reduce unemployment in the developing economy.
Oba Samuel Dada, the traditional ruler of Iloffa, in his goodwill message, urged the participants to take optimum advantage of the training to be self-reliant.
Dada, who was represented by Chief Moses Oni, urged the youth to be vanguard of agripreneurship development in the country.
Mr Joseph Oni, Chairman, Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara, commended the organisers for their foresight and urged them to maintain the tempo.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the training courses include: Concepts of Agricultural Commodity and Value Chain Development in Nigeria; Agripreneurship Skills Development.
Others are: Agricultural Land Development for Increased Yield; Gender Mainstreaming in Cassava Value Chain Development as well as Cassava Production Techniques to obtain High and Sustainable Yield.
The highlight of the training was the presentation of certificates to the participants. NAN
