Date: 2016-12-18

Mr Adegoke Bamidele, Kwara Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources says the state Government has concluded plans to create 20,000 jobs for youths in agriculture. Bamidele made this known in Lagos on Saturday.

He said that y the youth would be selected across the 16 local government areas of the state. "There are no criteria for selecting the youth; the empowerment programme is for both graduates and undergraduates.

"The idea is to engage the youth in agricultural business as it is the only alternative source of revenue generating to oil sector. Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State "If 20,000 youths are empowered in agricultural business, it will boost the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) of the state and also enhance its economic development," he said. According to him, the youth will be trained on crops farming, poultry, piggery, animal husbandry, and fishery among several others.

According to the commissioner, the idea is to make the youth not to depend on government jobs alone but to also be self employed. "Private organisations are sacking workers day by day, but the only secured job is the skilled job.

"That is one of the reasons why the government is empowering youths to embrace agriculture and to encourage them to contribute their quota to the development of the nation, "he said. Bamidele said that the only reliable sector that could bring Nigeria out of recession was agriculture due to its enormous investment opportunities.

The commissioner, therefore, advised the Federal Government to support the 36 state governments with the required fund to enable states to grant zero per cent interest loans to youths in agriculture.