The executive director, National Cereal Research Institute (NCRI) Badeggi, Dr Umar Aliyu, has identified agriculture as the only way to address unemployment, youth restiveness in the country.
Consequently, he urged government at all levels to prioritise the sector.
Dr Aliyu stated this during an empowerment programme tagged “Season Intervention” initiated and sponsored by Ahmed Tijani Damisa, a lawmaker representing Okene/ Ogori-Magongo federal constituency at the National Assembly.
The 3-day programme which ended Wednesday was held at Ebira Muslims Community College, Okengwe (EMCCO) in Okene local government area of the state . It was organised by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture , Rural Development and National Cereal Research Institute (NCRI) in collaboration with
Joy and Grace Limited.
Speaking at the end of the empowerment programme, Dr Aliyu said the only way youth restiveness , unemployment and insecurity can be addressed in the society was through rigorous empowerment and engagement of youth through various agricultural value-chains that can impact positively on the livelihood of the youth.
The executive director who was represented by the planning officer of the institute, Mr Lukman Bello, stated that the empowerment programme which involved the distribution of agricultural input and implements to farmers in the constituency would go a long way in improving the living standard of the beneficiaries.
He appealed to political office holders and representatives of the people at both state and federal levels to extend such gesture to the people at the grassroots to improve their standard of living.
Addressing the beneficiaries, Damisa who was represented by one of his aides, Ibrahim Kadoka, said the aim of the empowerment was to fulfill the lawmaker’s campaign promises of empowering the constituents to boost their businesses and create jobs for them.
He stated that 100 farmers were supported with input such as fertilizers, sprayers, rain boot, face masks, hand gloves and seedlings as starter packs while another 100 petty traders received cash to boost their businesses.
One of the beneficiaries and a petty trader, Mrs Fatimat Sule, commended the effort of the lawmaker for wiping away their tears at the point of needs and appealed to corporate organisations and well meaning indigenes of the constituency to contribute their quota towards ensuring that youth and women are supported to have sources of livelihood.
