The National Directorate of Employment (NDE), on Thursday, trained 50 persons on small stock animal farming (goat) production in Enugu.
Addressing the participants, the Director-General of the agency, Malam Abubakar Fikpo, said the programme would impact the unemployed youths with innovative skills to become employers of labour.
Fikpo, represented by the Enugu State Coordinator of the directorate, Mr Eugene Agu, congratulated the trainees, who were drawn from 11 states and the FCT.
He said the NDE was responsible for sensitising, counselling and re-orienting the minds of unemployed youths to de-emphasise the search for paid employment and embrace skill acquisition as a viable option for self-reliance.
He said that to drive the policy, the NDE identified a lot of skills in technical, vocational, domestic, entrepreneurial and agricultural enterprises to close the skills gap that existed among young unemployed graduates and school leavers.
Fikpo said that the organisers of the programme, Rural Employment Promotion (REP) Department, was one of the core programme departments saddled with the responsibility of generating employment opportunities in the agricultural sector for unemployed youths.
The NDE boss also said that the programme trains unemployed youths in the agricultural value chain, such as production, storage, processing, preservation and packaging.
“Today, we are here to inaugurate the Small Stock (Goat) Production Training Scheme for 50 beneficiaries in Enugu State.
“A total of 600 participants will be trained across the 11 states of the federation and FCT.
“This will play an important role in the socio-economic development of the farming community,’’ he said.
Fikpo urged the participants to see the training as a privilege, hence should show utmost interest.
He said the training was scheduled for a week and urged them to be active and acquire the knowledge to equip their goat production business successfully.
In a goodwill message, the Director of REP, Mr Eden Duke, said that goat production business would generate income, improve the livelihood of the people, create employment and reduce rural-urban migration.
Eden, represented by Mr Chimaobi Eleleme, further advised the beneficiaries to take the training seriously.
He thanked the director-general of NDE and his management team for approving the training.
The Head of Department of REP in Enugu, Mr Ernest Okongwu, encouraged the participants to make most of the opportunity provided by the directorate to improve the lives and well-being of their families.
Also speaking, one of the beneficiaries, Mrs Esther Okonkwo, applauded the directorate for the opportunity given to them and pleaded for take off grant after the training.
