From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
Over 450 persons from Ogoni ethnic nationality have enrolled in agricultural entrepreneurship programme organized by Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP), through one of its beneficiary contractors, Buafa Agro Resources Limited.
The trainees, who were drawn from the four local government areas (Eleme, Gokana, Khana and Tai) that make up the ethnic nationality in Rivers State, are running a four-month certified programme in fishery and poultry farming.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO), of Buafa Agro Resources limited, Mr. Famaa Bariledum, said the company decided to engage Ogoni natives, comprising of men, women and youths, in professional agriculture to make them become self-reliance.
Bariledum stated that Buafa allotted enough duration for the programme so that the candidates could acquire requisite knowledge and experience in their respective areas of specialization at the expiration of their training.
He explained: “We have the contract on agricultural entrepreneurship and we were asked to train over 454 people in my centre, those, who are interested in agriculture. The training is on and we are trying to impact on the people the right knowledge in agricultural entrepreneurship.
“This is not like other programmes that we used to do, seminar programmes, workshop programmes. This is a programme we give certificate. At the end of the training, they will have NABTEB (National Business and Technical Examination Board) certificate. That is why we are giving them the complete study even what the university does, agricultural extension, the same study they will get, is what we are giving them here.
“The people HYPREP sent to me, 90 percent of them are those who are very serious; you can see they are very focused and serious to listen, to learn. People are willing to get the knowledge from it. That is what we are doing today.
“We promised to give them a sound and effective learning and after this, they will have the zeal to establish in agriculture. After the training, we have to follow them up; we follow them up three months. In my centre, we train them on fish farming, poultry farming.”
He expressed optimism that, at the end of the Ogoni cleanup, there would be reasons for people from the ethnic nationality to be grateful to HYPREP for things they have benefited from the Federal Government agency.
Some of the candidates (Mr. Lucky Taadee, Khana; Mrs. Osila Osarolukar, Eleme; Mr. Badom Nwika,Gokana and Mr. Bariswano Iyalo,Tai), who spoke to journalists at the training centre in Port Harcourt, lauded the initiative of HYPREP and knowledge Buafa Agro Resources Limited has impacted on them.
They said HYPREP and Buafa had given them a platform for sustainable sources of livelihood.