By Friday Idachaba
Kabba (Kogi) Mr Kehinde Oloruntoba, Kogi Commissioner for Agriculture, on Monday warned the 195 beneficiaries of the agro-enterprise training of FADAMA III Additional Financing (AF) programme against diversion of their start-up capital.
Oloruntoba gave the warning during the graduation of the beneficiaries at the College of Agriculture, Kabba.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the beneficiaries were trained under the FADAMA Graduate Unemployed Youth and Women Support (FADAMA GUYS) programme.
The commissioner urged the beneficiaries to fully maximise the training opportunity and utilise the start-up capital given to them to establish their enterprises and employ at least 10 other youths each.
“Even if you are given N50 million today and you don’t add value to it; in no time, you will discover that nothing is left.
“But if you invest the funds, you will be spending and money will be coming in as well.
“So, let us invest whatever we have been given so that the society will benefit from us,” he said.
Oloruntoba assured the beneficiaries that the government was ready to provide them the required technical support that would enable them to succeed in their various enterprises.
He encouraged them to approach the ministry’s farm extension workers across the 21 Local Government Areas of the state for assistance whenever the need arose.
Also speaking, Mr Tayo Adewunmi, National Project Coordinator of FADAMA III AF Programme, said that “the era of oil dollar has passed.”
He underscored the need for youths to devote their time to ideas that would make them job creators rather than job seekers.
Adewunmi said that the programme was meant to create a pool of graduate youths with technical and practical skills that would enhance their competitiveness in agro-entrepreneurship along the entire agricultural value chain.
According to him, the beneficiaries will contribute to efforts to generate employment opportunities and reduce unemployment in the country.
Mr Paul Ogunmola, State FADAMA III AF Project Coordinator, expressed delight over the success of the training.
He said that the training was aimed at reducing the number of the unemployed graduates in the country by engaging the youth in productive enterprises.
On her part, Dr Aderonke Mohammed, the Provost of the College of Agriculture, Kabba, urged the beneficiaries to practise what they had learnt and promote the country’s agricultural development.
NAN reports that the beneficiaries were trained in various agricultural ventures, including rice, cassava, yam, tomato, fish and poultry production. (NAN)