Lagos State Government has began the recruitment of eligible and interested candidates for the Batches 4, 5 and 6 of its Lagos Agripreneurship Programme (LAP) under its Agriculture-based Youth Empowerment Scheme (Agric-YES).
The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya who disclosed this in Lagos today noted that the programme was in furtherance of the State Government’s objective of training no fewer than 15,000 youths and women in the various agricultural value chains by year 2023.
She pointed out that the programme which is a one-month training exercise is aimed at improving capacity, creating wealth and employment in the agricultural value chains such as poultry, piggery, aquaculture and vegetables.
According to her, the strategic inclusion of the LAP Programme would efficiently reduce unemployment, create jobs and alleviate poverty in the State as well as attract and pay more attention to the creation of jobs for women in agribusiness.
“Following the training of a total of 400 participants under three batches of the Lagos Agripreneurship Programme, L.A.P., Lagos State will begin the recruitment and short listing of interested candidates for the Batches 4, 5 and 6 of the Programme.
“The current reality and exigencies of job creation for the teeming youth population and attainment of food security require that a more aggressive, strategic and efficient approach be employed in the training and empowerment of women and youth if Lagos State is to achieve a significant reduction of unemployment, create more jobs and wealth and also significantly enhance food security in the State by year 2023,” Olusanya said.
The Commissioner noted that the significance of the training would be the creation of 2000 Agro-Entrepreneurs who would in turn become job creators; promotion of food security, improved nutrition and general well-being of Lagosians; and the creation of at least 4000 indirect jobs by every 2000 beneficiaries per year through the engagement of support staff such as attendants and artisans among others.
Other expected impacts, according to her, are the enhancement of the economic activities of the surrounding communities; reduction in the overall rate of unemployment; reduction in crime rate within the State; and promotion of the State’s target of producing at least 25% of the food consumed by residents of the State before the end of year 2025.
The Commissioner opined that the Programme has been specifically tailored for men between the ages of 18 and 35years and women between the ages of 18 and 55years adding that candidates are expected to collect and submit application forms between November 24 and December 8, 2020.
Olusanya added that candidates are expected to sit for a written examination on Monday and Tuesday, 14th and 15th of December, 2020, while an oral interviews would take place on Friday and Saturday, 18th and 19th December, 2020.
She therefore urged interested and eligible candidates with passion for agriculture with a minimum of a senior secondary school certificate and who are in good physical and health conditions to collect the application forms free of charge at the Agricultural Training Institute, Araga, Epe; Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority, Oko Oba, Agege; Lagos Agricultural Inputs Supply Authority, Odogunyan, Ikorodu; Coconut House, Mowo, Badagry and Ministry of Agriculture Area Office, Ajah, Eti Osa between Tuesday, 24th November and Tuesday, 8th December.
Short listed successful candidates would start the training proper at the Agricultural Training Institute, Araga, Epe on Tuesday, 5th of January, 2020.
