From: Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
No fewer than 5000 persons have commenced training in various aspects of agriculture in Ogun State.
The programme, which is a collaboration between Ogun State Government and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, under the FADAMA III project, would see women and youths undergo a two-week training in different agricultural engagements.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, on Tuesday, at the Eweje Farm Settlement in Odeda Local Government Area of the state, Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs. Adepeju Adebajo, said the two-week training was for the first tranche of participants.
She charged the beneficiaries to avail themselves of the various “windows of opportunities in policies, programmes and projects which the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led administration has initiated for economic recovery”
According to her, the state government had made access to land less cumbersome disclosing that fertilisers had been subsidised to enhance yield for the optimitization of profit, noting national security was dependent on food security.
Adebajo added that the best two hundred trainees with the best business plan would be given take-off grants by the state government.
She equally advised the participants, drawn from the twenty local government areas and the LCDAs in the state to search for additional outlets for soft loans.
On his part, the Project Coordinator Of FADAMA III in Ogun State, Mr. Oluwafemi Akinsola, explained the programme, tagged ‘FADAMA Graduate Unemployed Youths Scheme’, was designed to replace the aging population of farmers in State.
He advised the participants to “integrate backwards”, by consulting officials of the Ministry Of Agriculture, OGADEP And FADAMA in the course of their Agric-Preneuship for what he called “optimization of the field”.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Stephen Ipinniwa, called for prudent management of grants by participants pointing out that the success of entrepreneurial undertakings lie in fiscal discipline.