The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, says it is committed to promoting projects and programmes that would guarantee food security and sustainable growth in the Niger Delta region.
The Delta state representative on the NDDC board, Chief Monday Igbuya stated this at the flag-off of a training and empowerment programme for women and youths in livestock farming and agro-processing at Amukpe, in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State.
Igbuya, who described the training as capable of improving both the socio-economic lives and promoting peace in the region, explained that the decision by the NDDC to prioritize training on livestock farming was also in line with President Ahmed Bola Tinubu Renewed Hope Agenda of developing capacity.
He said: “The Niger Delta Development Commission, as an interventionist body has a policy thrust of promoting programmes that would guarantee food security and agricultural growth in multi-sectoral areas as a way of improving the living standards of the people. This is because for any socio economic development to take place, there is the need to develop manpower in the agricultural sector.”
The Delta State representative also called on the various state governments in the region to emulate the Commission in improving the lives of the people , which according to him could serve as a panacea to restiveness.
He enjoined the participants to take advantage of the training programme and to judiciously utilise the start-up package that would be presented to them to invest in agriculture.
In her remarks, the NDDC Director, Agriculture and Fisheries, Mrs. Winifred Madume said that the Commission had empowered farmers and entrepreneurs with necessary skills and knowledge to enhance their productivity and market access. She added that the NDDC had been promoting research and development through various institutions, as well as providing farming techniques to various beneficiaries.
She described livestock production as a means of addressing food insecurity, employment generation and poverty reduction.
Madume called on the trainees to utilize the knowledge and skills acquired during the training and empowerment programme to transform the agricultural sector.
On his part, the consultant of the project, Dr. Simon Akhaine, said that 200 women and youths would be trained in livestock and other agro-businesses to provide them with the requisite knowledge and skills to be self-sufficient in livestock farming, and also improve food security in the region.
He said: “The training will further impart our women and youths with the technical know-how from the competent resource persons that have been put together for this training programme with a ripple effect of achieving self- reliance and food sufficiency,”
He commended the NDDC for living up to expectations, adding that arrangements had been concluded to provide the trainees with starter-packs at the end of the training.
Also speaking, the General Operations Manager of Okeimute Farms, the centre of the training programme, Mr. Godwin Ubido assured that the center was well equipped for the training exercise.
While calling on other agencies to come up with programmes that would develop the region, he appealed to the government to assist in rehabilitating the road leading to the training center for easy access.
