The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has begun the training of 50 unemployed youths on Agriculture Extension in Edo.
Malam Abubakar Fikpo, Director-General of NDE, who disclosed this on Tuesday at the inauguration of the training in Benin, said the training was for the three senatorial districts in the state.
Fikpo, represented by the state Coordinator, Mr. Solomon Edobor, said the Rural Employment Promotion of the Directorate would supervise the Agricultural Extension referred to as Agricultural Advisory Services.
He said that Agricultural Advisory Services would play a crucial role in boosting productivity, increase food security, improve rural livelihood and promote agriculture as an engine of economic growth.
He also said that the Agricultural Advisory Services was one of the activities in the Agricultural value-chain with the potential for youth employment in the rural sector, hence, reducing rural/urban drift.
“Agricultural Extension Personnel in rural communities are crucial in boosting agricultural productivity and the need to train unemployed youths.
“Also the average age of our farmers is between 40 and above thus, there is the need to train them on scientific and technology-driven services.
”This will guarantee disease-free production, yield high quality and stress free processing of farm products,” he said.
According to Fikpo, the Agricultural Service is one of the Federal Government’s initiatives in curbing unemployment in the country.
He gave the objective of the scheme as to generate employment for trained agricultural extension personnel.
”This is to remove the drudgery associated with the traditional farming practice, increase food production as well as to stimulate the rural economy and improve farming techniques among others. (NAN)
