F.C.T (Sundiata Post) The FCT Minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, has presented laptops, cash, and certificates to 26 young female fish farmers to improve the viability of agricultural value chain in Kano state.
Mahmoud presented the items on Thursday in Kano, at the closing ceremony of a 5-day empowerment programme for women and youths in modern agriculture in North-West.
She commended the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, Abuja, for the initiative to build female entrepreneurs in the agricultural value chain.
Speaking on the theme “Sustainable Growth through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Skill Development in Digital Economy”, the minister said that the programme was to promote education, skill acquisition, and gender empowerment.
“I see this programme as one of the outcomes of the numerous humanitarian services of promoting education, skills acquisition, women and youth empowerment through the Renewed Hope Initiative of the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu.
“I, therefore, commend the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development for taking this bold step that will enable farmers to use research data and adopt technology necessary to accelerate growth in the agricultural sector,” she said.
Mahmoud called on the centre to raise the bar for female entrepreneurs in the country through the agricultural value chain.
The Director-General of the Center, Dr Asabe Bashir, said that the programme was designed to expose young women to various ways ICT could help farmers, agricultural extension workers, and decision makers improve on their agricultural practice and methods.
Bashir, who was represented by the Assistant Director of the center, Mr Taslim Atoyebi, pointed out that agriculture employs over 75 per cent of the country’s workforce.
She said that the demand for agricultural produce kept increasing as the population swells.
She identified ICT as a vehicle that drives development in all sectors of the economy, including agriculture.
She said that the federal government’s quest to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty would be realised if farmers were empowered to contribute their quota to the economic growth and development of the country.
“We will continue to monitor your progress and support your growth all-year-round to create digital farmers in the North-West Zone of Nigeria.
“We conducted this training to expose you to the technological innovations in the agricultural sector,” Atoyebi said.
One of the beneficiaries, Hajiya Umma Waru, thanked the federal government for the training, and promised to make good use of the skills acquired. (NAN)
