As part of its contribution to address the scourge of unemployment in the country, the National Agricultural Mechanization Cooperative of Nigeria, NAMCON, is set to create Nigeria agro extension service centres in 528 local government areas across 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
The aim of the scheme is to provide direct jobs for 15 youths per local area as operators, technical staff and agro extension service staff.
Consequently, the body has prioritized five key intervention areas made up of the Nigeria Mechanized Agro-Extension Service Scheme, Women Nurturing Birds for Wealth Empowerment Program, Nigeria Agro Market Space, Strategic Skill Acquisition Program and Farmers House, a mass housing project for farmers in rural dwellings.
This is even as the cooperative society has commenced the profiling and training of about 2, 300 Katsina residents spread across the 34 local government areas of the state.
The target, according to the body, is to train and empower the beneficiaries, comprising youths and women in poultry farming.
President of NAMCON, Dr Aliyu Waziri, who disclosed these in Katsina, the Katsina State capital, at the inauguration of National Agricultural Mechanization Cooperative of Nigeria, Katsina State chapter, also flagged off registration and accreditation process for applicants in the women nurturing birds for wealth empowerment program; a scheme, he said would make women financially independent, thus enhancing their socio-economic well being and standing.
In his opening address, Dr. Waziri said: “We are happy that here in Katsina, we have been able to inaugurate the zonal, state and local government coordinators today under National Agricultural Mechanization Cooperative Society, NAMCS, program for human-based wealth.”
“We are here today to take another bold step towards history, towards unlocking the agricultural sector and to see how we can maximize the hidden potentials in the agricultural sector.
“This program is strategically designed to take advantage of the opportunities that is available in the poultry business value chain, to create job opportunities for our women. You will agree with me that over 80 per cent of our women are still at home and not working, hence the essence of this program.
“For us at NAMCON, we created this system for women who can be at home while taking care of their families and also earn money to support the family, and that is the origin of women nurturing bed for wealth. It is basically to empower women,” he said.
NAMCON, under the Women Nurturing for Wealth Empowerment Programme, will train 60, 000 women and youths across the country, with a target of producing 125 million birds per annum.
