Former Member of House of Representatives, Hon Shehu Bawa ABG has in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Science and Technology trained youths and Women on poultry and fish farming to reduce the rate of unemployment which has become endemic, particularly in the North-West Region with the highest number of unemployed youth in Nigeria, according to report of National Bureau of Statistics.
The three day training programme took place in Arewa House, kaduna with Hon Shehu ABG renewing commitments to take people of his Zone out of poverty and drug abuse.
Participants were drawn from across Seven States that make up the North-West Geopolitical Zone who were trained on modern methods and techniques on Poultry, Fishery and Irrigation Farming such as Pawpaw and Rice Production.
Coordinator of National Biotechnology Development, Agency, Technical Partners of the training , Dr Henry Olayinka said Fish and Poultry Farming had become a lucrative business that about 160 million Nigerians were involved from production and final consumption stage which according to him required large number of actors to tap from the benefits there in.
Mr Olayinka disclosed that participants would be provided with starter packs such as ; day-old chicks, rice seedlings, fish feeds among others to enable them start up business with immediate effect.
He charged participants to make judicious use of items that had been given to them for the benefits of the larger society.
Some beneficiaries who spoke to newsmen at the venue of the workshop expressed their appreciation to Hon ABG for facilitating the workshop which they said would go a long way in providing reliable sources of livelihood to people of the Region and pledged to impact gained knowledge to others who were not opportune to be chosen for the training.
Mrs Paulina Tanko, a Beneficiary of the program could not conceal her excitement at the level of knowledge she had gained from the workshop.
” I can now start my own poultry farming courtesy of the knowledge I have gained at this workshop.
” We have been given starter packages and handsome amounts of money to enable us start up and own our farming business so we can become entrepreneurs, ” She said.
A beneficiary, Musa Bello who was trained on rice farming and production expressed his delight and pledged to put into use the knowledge gained at the workshop.
Facilitator of the training programme, Hon Shehu ABG lamented high unemployment rate particularly in the North-West Zone and expressed his commitments to change the trends for the benefits of the larger society.
” Since I left House of Representatives five years ago as Member representing kaduna North, I have been organizing such vocational courses for my people who I have so much passion to see that they excel in various endeavors.
” I urge beneficiaries of this program to make proper use of the funds and starter packs that have been given to them.
” In the last few years , we had been able to train over three thousand beneficiaries and in the next three weeks we have the target of training four hundred more God willing.
” My joy is to see our able young ones in the state minds occupied in one meaningful business that will take them off poverty.
” The project of fighting unemployment among our populace should be a collaborative effort by all to have a peaceful and gainfully engaged society. ” He said.
