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From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
At least twenty thousand youths in Cross River State are set to be empowered through schemes put together by the State’s Youth Empowerment Scheme.
The Chairman of the scheme, Dr Kalita Aruku, who disclosed this in Calabar asserted that the scheme is designed to empower the youth in the area of their strength and needs.
Dr. Aruku explained that the scheme is built around seven thematic areas where these youths would be productively engaged and empowered.
These include creative industry, agriculture, sports, transportation, skill acquisition, small scale businesses, and education.
Giving more details, he said “under the agricultural scheme, youths would be trained and empowered with various agricultural produce, in addition to being provided with off-takers.
“Poultry, piggery, fishery, and crop cultivation as the main focus in the agricultural sector.
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“Beneficiaries in the fishery section will be provided with fingerlings and some funds to start up after training, while that of poultry will be given birds and funds as well.
“Perhaps, I need to add here that the beneficiaries of the fishery part will also be provided with artificial pounds and feeds.
“For the crop cultivation, our focus will be on cassava and maize because of their high demand. High yield and improved variety cassava stem will be given the beneficiaries”, he said.
In the creative industry, the chairman stated that youths would be trained on cinematography, script directing, and producing, script writing, and acting.
He explained that aside from empowering the youth, this aspect of the scheme is designed to make Calabar a top destination for movie production.
“We can’t be a hub for tourism without adding this aspect of the creative industry to it. Music is also part of this,” he noted
For the small-scale businesses, Aruku said the beneficiaries would be empowered with the basic equipment to upscale their businesses.
