Joe Effiong, Uyo
The Federal Government, through the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), has trained 50 Akwa Ibom State indigenes on agriculture under its Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme (SADTS).
SADTS is part of the Rural Employment Promotion (REP), which is one of the core programme departments of the NDE. The programme is geared towards generating rural employment and improving incomes through agribusiness engagements, among other objectives.
The 50 beneficiaries in the state are part of the 1,850 others across the 36 states of the federation.
Speaking during the orientation ceremony of SADTS in Uyo, recently, NDE Director General, Nasiru Ladan, said the programme was part of the Federal Government’s effort to alleviate poverty in the country.
Ladan, who was represented at the event by an NDE staff, Ann Eyo-Ita, urged the participants to take the training seriously as they were expected to pass down the knowledge to others after the training.
He stressed the importance of agriculture in a nation’s economy and urged Nigerians to start to think towards investing in the sector.
“You have been very lucky to be picked for this training. I therefore urge you to take this training seriously; to make sure you make something good out of it afterwards. You shouldn’t come out and become job seekers but creators,” he said.
Chairman, Association of Heads of Federal Establishments, Peter Umana, said petroleum was fast losing value, admonishing that government should invest more in agriculture.
Umana advised the beneficiaries to view agriculture as a very profitable business that could take them from poverty to a life of riches, charging them to take the vocation seriously.