...as World Bank begins move to establish poultry clusters in Ekiti
Ekiti State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security,Mr Ebenezer Boluwade has disclosed that the State Broiler Production Scheme has continued to record unprecedented successes in it’s objective of reducing unemployment and creating wealth opportunities for youths in the State.
The Commissioner stated during a visit to participants on the seventh cycle of the Broiler Production Scheme at the Livestock Development Centre at Erinfun in Ado-Ekiti
Mr Boluwade explained that the programme, basically meant for training and empowerment of interested youths has unlocked many opportunities for the participants interested in broiler production after graduation.
He revealed that the scheme has elicited the interest of development partners noting that the World Bank has signified it’s intention to bring Poultry Clusters that would enable interested youths to breed broilers to the State .
The Commissioner stressed that priority would be given to graduates of the scheme in the selection of beneficiaries for the new initiative by the World Bank
He disclosed that as part of efforts to empower participants of the Broiler Production Scheme,each graduate of the last cycle received about N1m as a profit from Government adding that the current participants would also benefit from the same offer.
Boluwade also announced a 20% increase in the stipend paid to the trainees , this boosting their pay from N50,000 to N60,000, to further improve their productivity.
He advised the participants to use the forthcoming grants for purposeful businesses and not divert it into frivolous activities.
His words, “This is our seventh cycle and the purpose of the Ekiti State Broiler Production Programme is to provide training and empowerment for our youths.”
“Some of them have graduated and they got a profit of almost a million naira each to start up their own business.
“The people that are here too will soon graduate and when they do, they graduate with empowerment. The money and the profits generated belongs to them; and in a nutshell, they are working for themselves, paid stipends for the work done and the profits go back to them.
“We are not doing it in Erefun alone, we have Ikole, Ilupeju, Ido and we have more than 100 participants who are on this cycle. At the end of the day, that’s when we will know the number of participants who will graduate because not all of them will graduate.
“This scheme has reduced unemployment in the society and I’m sure if we empower them today, the necessary things will be done by them.
“The good thing is that the World Bank is supporting us as it is coming up with Poultry Clusters in Ekiti. Participants of this scheme will be the first beneficiaries before we look for others. In essence, we have created a platform for job and wealth creation in Ekiti State”
Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry ,Mr Babatope Ojo also reiterated the commitment of the Ministry towards creating jobs and wealth through agriculture, saying the scheme is basically designed to make agriculture fruitful for the youths.
A participant, Afesojaye Aderemi lauded the program, saying it has exposed her to many opportunities.
Another participant, Abdulfatai Ayomide acknowledged that the program would reduce unemployment among youths, urging them to venture into agriculture rather than chasing white collar jobs.