NAN-H-80
Training
By Lizzy Agbaji
Abuja, Oct. 31, 2016 (NAN) The Presidential Amnesty Programme has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Biotechnology Development Centre (NABDA) to train 500 ex-agitators in advanced agriculture.
Mr Owei Lakemfa, Media and Communication Consultant to the programme said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.
He quoted the Programme’s Coordinator, Brig.-Gen Paul Boroh as saying that the training will commence in November as part of a three-prong programme aimed at domesticating the training of the ex-agitators.
Boroh said that the training was also aimed at contributing to food security and gainfully engaging beneficiaries to be self-sustaining.
He said the relationship between the programme and the centre should not just be formalised but sustained for youths in the Niger Delta to benefit.
“I am looking into the future where in the next two to three years; we will train tens of thousands of youths in the Niger Delta.
“We are expecting the youths to be engaged in sustainable income and also engage other youths in the region.
“ We should stop importing food, fish, toothpick, beef and water, we must provide internally for our basic needs.
“The challenge of youths in all parts of the country is to be engaged positively, we advise states to engage in re-integration programmes to curb youth restiveness in Nigeria,’’ Boroh said.
Similarly, Dr Lucy Ogbadu, Director-General of NABDA said in the statement that the nation was diversifying its economy and agriculture was a sure way of diversification.
“ NABDA has centres located across the nation, so training in agriculture can take place in any part of the country.
“There is no part of the country today that you do not experience youth restiveness and this is because these youths are not positively engaged.
“ We will do all we can to help them stand on their own, our centre is ready to do this but we are handicapped in getting funds.”
She said that the ex-agitators would be properly trained and monitored.
Also, Mr Josiah Abu, the Coordinating Director of NABDA, said the centre would train and motivate the ex- agitators to produce the best farmers in Nigeria.
NAN reports that NABDA is to train the ex-agitators in mushroom technology, fish production, poultry, snail and grass cutter farming technology and propagation of elite plants like banana, plantain and pineapple. (NAN)
LIZ/JPE/MO
Edited by Joseph Edeh/Morayo Omolade
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