The Nigeria Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT), Ibadan in partnership with the lawmaker representing Akoko-Edo federal constituency, Hon. Peter Akpatason has trained 150 youths, women, and farmers during a 2-day capacity-building workshop in poultry, fishery, and vegetable farming with a call on participants to deploy knowledge acquired into creation of wealth and employment.
Speaking at the 2-day workshop held on Dec23rd and 24th in Igarra, the administrative headquarter of Akoko-Edo, the acting Executive Director of NIHORT, Dr.Ephraim Nwanguma said the federal government has shifted its focus on agriculture and its value chain as a means of diversifying the economy of the nation with emphasis on lifting millions of Nigerians out of food and nutritional insecurity as well as poverty.
Dr.Nwanguma said that the training in poultry, fishing, and vegetable farming is targeted at broadening socioeconomic inclusion through the enhancement of food security, employment opportunities, sustainable household income, and healthy livelihood
Nwanguma, who said poultry production was one of the important components of the livestock sub-sector in Nigeria, noted that it enhances food and nutritional security, while also providing direct employment to a large number of rural and urban dwellers.
He said: “Integrating vegetable, fish, and poultry farming system, especially in the close system, have a potential contribution to food and nutritional security, improved livelihoods of smallholder farmers and employment opportunities.
“Capacity building and training are crucial among other efforts to scale up the cultivation and production of the commodities as stakeholders are often exposed to recent innovation in cultivation and production aspects of agriculture” Dr.Nwanguma added.
Also speaking, the chairman of the governing board of NIHORT, Major- Gen.Mohammed Garba (rtd) said that capacity building and training is necessary to equip youths, women, and farmers with skills in the horticultural value chain of various crop production that will ensure job creation and sustainable economic growth.
The chairman who was represented by chief Matthew Ehigie said NIHORT has provided empowerments training to over 3,750 individuals since the coming of the President Buhari-led administration which considers training as part of the strategic and holistic action plan to drive the nation towards economic growth.
On his part, the facilitator of the 2-day training workshop and member representing Akoko-Edo federal constituency at the Federal House Representative, Hon. Peter Akpatason tasked the participants at the training to avail themselves of the opportunities in the agricultural sector as veritable tools for wealth and job creation.
The lawmaker who spoke through Hon. Bamidele Oloruntoba, a former member of the Edo state house of assembly, stated that through this initiative of agricultural training and workshop, several youths, women, and farmers in Akoko-Edo will be able to create wealth and employment for several others by deploying the knowledge into practical use.
Meanwhile, the 150 participants who received the certificate of participation in the 2-day training workshop on the fishery, poultry, and vegetable farming were separated into 3 groups each comprising 50 members trained by Kenuma Concept limited and Dejfam star academy, agricultural consultants, using tag CS1 and CS2 (yellow and green colors respectively) for participants trained by Kenuma Concept limited and CS3 (blue) managed by Dejfam star academy.
