Gov. Ikpeazu advises FG to establish NYSC farms to ease unemployment

NaijaAgroNet:

The Abia State Governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, has advised the Federal Government to think of establishing farms across the 36 states, using members of the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) as drivers of a youth agricultural initiative, reports NaijaAgroNet. 

A press statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Comrade Enyinnaya Appolos, said this at the weekend when Gov. Ikpeazu received the Director General of NYSC, Brig. Gen. Sule Kazaure, on a one day working visit at Government House, Umuahia. 

Governor Ikpeazu said the policy will make it mandatory for Corp members to be trained by experts in various aspects of agriculture during their one year national service, and every state will provide farm. 

He said that upon the completion of their service year, the Federal Government will make Agric loans accessible to them to go into various aspect of farming.

Ikpeazu said that the scheme will provide employment as it will encourage youth involvement in agriculture and reduce the number of white collar job seekers.  

The governor said, "I've thought about how to solve the problem of unemployment in Nigeria and I think that the best way to solving this problem Sent from my iPad

According to him, "NYSC is a vehicle that can drive government policies including agriculture and achieve good value chain in the industry".

He promised that the erosion site at the orientation camp will be visited and the female hostel looked into, promising that government will continue to assist the NYSC in the state.

Ikpeazu also pleaded with NYSC to consider awarding contracts for the production of uniforms and boots to Aba tailors and shoe makers to support his administrations drive for patronage of made in Aba goods and services. 

He assured that the state Government will guarantee high quality products as well as provide industrial capacity machines and high quality inputs to a consortium of tailors and shoe makers at Aba to meet the demands of NYSC in a timely manner.

 The governor stated that the state is also ready to supply uniforms and boots to military men in the country at competitive prices.

Earlier, the DG of the NYSC, brig Gen Suleiman Zakari Kazaure said that he was in the state for a routine inspection of the camp facility for the batchA stream 2 of the NYSC.

He thanked the Governor for the cordial relationship between the state and the NYSC team in the state and appreciated his achievements in the state including his benevolence to the NYSC and requested him to assist in the area of erosion control in the camp, fix the dilapidated female hostel and provide borehole as well as do something about the subvention payable to NYSC.

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Pix: Dr Okezie Ikpeazu

Agriculture key to end poverty says Uma Ukpai

NaijaAgroNet

The Nigerian youths have been called upon to develop keen interest in agriculture as a way of ending unemployment and as such create wealth and food sufficiency in the nation, the founder, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Evangelist Uma Ukpai has said.

NaijaAgroNet reports that Uma Ukpai stated this while addressing news men in Uyo, AkwaIbom, recently. He said that Nigeria, in all ramifications, should be one of the richest countries of the world given its abundant natural and human resources, regretting, however, that it could not even feed its citizens due to misplaced priorities.

“Our youths should promote agriculture. They should promote vocational skills acquisition since it has become very difficult to engage the numerous graduates looking for white collar jobs,” he said.

He gave more hints that agriculture with its potential is capable of not only transforming the national economy but also tremendously impacting on the personal lives of the farmers, particularly the youth

Consequently, he tasked Nigeria youths to stop complaining about poverty and unemployment or blaming government for every woe and challenge but rather think of creating wealth through farming, adding, “a society where everybody runs after government to provide everything does not prosper.

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AEO calls on government to boost job creation for youths

The African Economic Outlook has called on governments across the continent to boost jobs creation for youths.

NaijaAgroNet learnt from the outlook that the population of African youths is expected to double by 2045, giving the continent one billion workforce and making it the largest globally.

The AEO also urged the government to provide employment opportunities and ensure a political process that would allow the youths to express their views towards policy changes in order to prevent instability in the continent.

“This is an opportune time to reset the policy agenda of African governments towards an inclusive, employment-creating and sustainable growth strategy, aimed particularly at addressing the special needs of the young,” the outlook reads in part.

The current trend of education on the continent, NaijaAgroNet gathered will result to 59 per cent of 20-24 years old with secondary education by 2030 as against the present 42 per cent and by 2030 there would be 12million African youths with tertiary education.

NaijaAgroNet recalls that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) revealed recently that 73million jobs were created between 2000 and 2008 with 16 million targeted at populations between 15 and 24 years of age, leading to unemployment of youths in informal jobs.

Yinka Awosanya

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