The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has engaged 50 persons in Ebonyi in its 2021 Post Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme (SADTS) aimed at enhancing food security.
Mr Abubakar Fikpo, Director-General of NDE, inaugurated the programme on Wednesday in Amaike Ezzamgbo, Ohaukwu Local Government Area, Ebonyi.
Fikpo, represented by the NDE Coordinator in Ebonyi State, Mr Marcel Igboanude, said the scheme would also help to curb rising unemployment in the country.
He said the Post-SADTS was to empower the beneficiaries to establish, grow and expand agric-enterprises of their choice on a sustainable basis.
According to him, SADTS is a modern approach used by the NDE to drive agricultural sector employment programme in the country.
“Over the years, Rural Employment Promotion (REPO) through modern agricultural and farm skills acquisition training had been deployed by the agency as its core programmes of generating employment opportunity for unemployed youths.
“On the 2021 SADTS scheme, the beneficiaries will be trained on the following: livestock, the use of agrochemical practices and other agricultural inputs such as chemical sprayers, herbicides amongst others.
“They will also train on income generating opportunity in post-harvest handling of agricultural products; digital marketing of products, sources of grants and loans for agribusiness,’’ Fikpo said.
Mr Michael Mbata, Director of REPO, represented by Mr Chimaobi Eleleme, also from REPO, said the agency was making effort for participants to get loan and be empowered to actualise goals of the scheme.
Mbata urged the participants to take the training serious and support the Federal Government policies on sustainable agriculture.
“Agriculture is a lucrative business and it has the capability of making one rich and famous. I urge you to be focused and make good use of the scheme,’’ he advised.
Ifeanyi Aniekwe, a participant, thanked the Directorate on behalf of other participants and appealed for adequate post-training arrangements to enable them put the knowledge of the training to practical use. NAN)
