The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in collaboration with the Commodity Allied Farmers Association of Nigeria (COMAFAS), has commenced the training of 75 youth on fisheries in Bauchi State.
Dr Austine Maduka, National President of COMAFAS, stated this in an interview with the News Agency Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Bauchi.
He said the training was part of the ECOWAS initiative and strategy towards the capacity building of youths in the food value chain systems through the grants partnership with COMAFAS.
“We inaugurated the second phase of the training on Tuesday in Bauchi with 75 young participants.
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“The first phase of the training was inaugurated in Abuja last week Tuesday for 75 participants trained on poultry.
“Therefore, a total of 150 youths, a ratio of 75 by 75 with 30 per cent women, shall be trained under the ECOWAS grant of US$77,942,” Maduka said.
Maduka said that the training would strengthen and enhance meat and fish availability as well as reduce unemployment among youth in the country.
According to him, COMAFAS will provide the technical training on how to grow fish and would take the participants through the rudiments of fishery production in the state.
“We mobilized women, youths and all intending and practicing farmers, who have little or no farming ideas to become self-sufficient in agribusiness through supportive and secured platform of COMAFAS,” he said.
Maduka urged stakeholders across the country to support youth empowerment through various initiatives on Agriculture, such as fisheries, processing and preservation of perishable items and other essential agricultural products in Nigeria.”
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The President also appealed to the Bauchi State Government to take ownership of the project by encouraging the youth and facilitating some of the activities.
He also urged participants to utilise this lofty initiative for the best interest of improving their income and adding value to the Gross Domestic Products (GDP). (NAN)