ECOWAS, in partnership with the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) in Ilorin, Kwara, has conducted a one-week intensive training for 150 individuals under the age of 35 on fish and vegetable farming.
The program, particularly focused on fish and vegetable farming, was inaugurated at the ARMTI headquarters in Ilorin on Monday. Dr. Olufemi Oladunni, the executive director of ARMTI, highlighted the goal of empowering participants from six geopolitical zones to achieve financial independence and become employers.
During the opening ceremony, Dr. Oladunni emphasized the significance of the training in contributing to the nation’s food and nutritional security. He expressed the belief that substantial fish and vegetable production would enhance nutrition levels and foster self-sufficiency among the youth beneficiaries.
He conveyed optimism that the recipients would establish a livelihood through the enterprise, leading to financial success, noting the widespread consumption of vegetables and fish in nearly every household daily.
Additionally, Kingsley Olurinde, the technical assistant to the executive director, emphasized that participants would gain empowerment from the training program, facilitating a smooth transition into their endeavors.
“The project is a collaborative one between ECOWAS and ARMTI, and the major objective is to create jobs for the unemployed youths.
“This workshop is taking care of 150 participants as the ECOWAS has provided funds while ARMTI is contributing every other dimension to make sure that the beneficiaries are empowered, adequately skilled in fish production, and integrated with market gardening. We hope that at the end of the workshop, they will not be job seekers again, but employers of labour.
“ECOWAS has also provided funds to empower them to some extent to ease their takeover. After their opening, we hope to support them more and move forward to become big stakeholders in the fish and vegetable industry.”
The institute also explained the reason behind the choice of vegetable and fish farming, saying that as one thinks along the economic dimension of empowering the youth to become employers of labour, one should also think about nutrition security.
“The food and nutrition security of the nation is essential. It’s like using a stone to kill two birds. So, we will be creating jobs for the youth, and we want them to help solve an existing problem, which is food and nutrition security in the nation.
“So, imagine 150 people producing fish and vegetables and turning the output into the nation’s markets; that’s a whole lot, and food security is being guaranteed,” he said.
While responding on behalf of his colleagues, the class governor of the participants, Olayiwola Damilola, appreciated the organizers, hoping to make use of the opportunity to improve themselves.
