FG to Empower 30,000 Nigerian Youths via the First Phase of YEAP

yeap farmers

As part of its promise to promote decent income generation and livelihood for Nigerian Youth as well as empower about 750,000 commercial farmers and agribusiness leaders, the Federal Government, through the Youth Employment in Agriculture Programme (YEAP), has commenced the empowerment of 30,000 youths in area-based priority value chains.

Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Arc. Sonny Echono, who disclosed this during a meeting with stakeholders in the poultry industry at the Ministry’s Headquarters in Abuja, said the ministry had received about 34,000 applications from intending agropreneurs and market oriented producers from 12 participating States, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Echono noted that a total of 250 agropreneurs would be selected per state including FCT under the first phase of the programme.

He further explained that the validation and final selection of the young agropreneurs and market oriented producers would be done at State levels in collaboration with the ministry’s state directors; adding that training would also be conducted for the beneficiaries at various credible agricultural and research institutions, universities and other vocational training institutions across Nigeria.

The Permanent Secretary listed the participating states to include Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Gombe, Imo, Kaduna, Kastina, Lagos, Niger, Ogun as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to him, the beneficiaries would be trained in various value chains, including rice, aquaculture, poultry, maize, tomato, wheat, sorghum, apiculture, soya bean, cassava, groundnut, oil palm, Snailery, grass cutter and multiple value chains, such as welding and fabrication, repairs and maintenance.