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Showing posts with label Job Creation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Job Creation. Show all posts

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Chinese farmer empowers Nigerian youths


 NaijaAgroNet
 
The Founder of Seven Star Farms Nigeria Ltd, Eric Ni Meng Xiao, a Chinese farmer, has empowered hundreds of young Nigerians through job creation, NaijaAgroNet reports

Seven Star which is located inAgbara-Lusada Road in Ogun State covers about 30 hectares where both the young and old are assisted by a group of Chinese farmers. The farm is reputed for producing a range of fresh vegetables, eggplant, pepper and fruits, NaijaAgroNet learnt.

"I came to Nigeria in 2003 to do shoe business, I was importing shoes from China, until the Nigerian government placed a ban on it, but we have bought this land to set up a factory. I was a farmer in China, but came to Nigeria to do business, so when the government restriction came, I thought it wise to do what I know how to do best and that is farming," he said.

He went further to say,"I am doing this to help reduced unemployment. We also works for Nigeria and foreigners, and this country (Nigeria) is also like my country (China), as long we are here together, we can help each other," he added.

Yusuf Garuba, a secondary school student who was seen busy at the farm cultivating, NaijaAgroNet gathered, said he took up the job because he did not stay home and do nothing. "The reason am working here is just for me not stay home and do nothing, so I came here to keep myself busy," he added.

Another worker who gave his name as Obinna Johnson expressed satisfaction that the Chinese farmers gave him the opportunity to work and learn as well.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE with additional report from Xinhua agency
 
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Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Youth in agriculture’ll Boost Mass Job Creation in Nigeria



 

With the recent focus on youths in agriculture, experts have agreed that the huge potential in agriculture will boost mass job creation in Nigeria, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This was the position of South West Regional Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) Dr Lekan Quadri at the three-day business training for young entrepreneurs in agriculture, held at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) Ibadan.

Lekan who stood in for the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, made inferences to the links between youth unemployment and the opportunities of an agrarian economy, which he said, could provide the biggest potential for mass job creation, NaijaAgroNet learnt.

Over the years, he said, getting youths in Nigeria to engage in agriculture has been an uphill task. The reasons, NaijaAgroNet gathered, are obvious, stressing that farming, as it is practised in the country, has not been seen as an attractive venture, just as the condition of those who engage in it has been most discouraging.

“However, the tide is changing. It has become obvious that the youths must be given a pride of place if Nigeria and Africa want to create business opportunities for the unemployed,” he said.

NaijaAgroNet further gathered that over 60 youth from six countries across Africa attended the business training aimed at empowering agripreneurs on “Agripreneural and Business Management.”
 
Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

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Saturday, January 12, 2013

Nokia, Microsoft, Dalberg partner on agro job creation forum



The trio of Nokia, Microsoft and Dalberg recently hosted Innovation for Vision 20:2020 Forum to boost Nigeria’s economy and to stimulate discussion about the role of Information and Communications Technology (ICT’s) and innovation in catalyzing development last December in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), especially in agriculture and job creation.

DigitalSENSE Business News gathered that phone manufacturer, Nokia, in partnership with leading software maker, Microsoft and Dalberg Global Development Advisors organized a full day forum to discuss ways the ICT sector could impact agriculture, job creation and the power sector in achieving Nigeria’s Vision 20:2020 goals.

The forum reportedly stimulated discussion around how information and communication technologies and local innovations could be used for improving the performance of the agriculture, entrepreneurial and energy sectors and what barriers exist for unleashing creativity both within public and private domains for making these solutions a reality.
Speaking, the Microsoft’s General Manager for Nigeria Emmanuel Onyeje said “it is important to build our understanding and knowledge about the power of ICT’s, but only action will allow us to reach our dreams. We need to move from policies to actionable programs that benefit the people.”

Also speaking, Mr. Robin Miller, Manager and ICT subject expert for Dalberg explained that the primary criterion for choosing the agricultural, entrepreneurship and the power sectors is due to their unique ability to drive inclusive and sustainable growth.

‘’Nigeria is one of the fastest growing economies in Africa with potential for global competitiveness. As such, we must look beyond the traditional solutions and recognize ICT innovation as a cornerstone of the country’s development,” she said.

The forum highlighted the current global thinking about the role of technology and innovation in driving national competitiveness, economic growth and social development. The forum brought together policy makers, local innovators, academics and private sector to join forces in developing the Nigerian innovation society and to build bridges between sectors. The discussions highlighted the importance of collaboration and demonstrated in practice how each stakeholder group has a role to play in reaching national development objectives.

The forum finished with the participants themselves presenting their solutions and recommendations for way forward. Excited Nokia’s Vice President for Corporate Relations Jussi Hinkkanen, noted that with the results of the day “Reaching of Nigeria’s Vision 20:2020 objectives will require collaboration and alignment across stakeholders.
Private sector, Hinkkanen said, is ready to contribute to this process as we have seen today. The identified solutions showed maturity and now we need to action on them”.

The occasion was graced by the Honourable Minister of Communication and Technology, Mrs. Omobala Johnson under whose patronage the event was organized.
 

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Saturday, November 17, 2012

Obasanjo expresses fear over youths’ unemployment in Nigeria

Chief Obasanjo

The former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed fears that a time will come when Nigeria will witness a revolution if government fails to address youths’ unemployment and poverty.
Speaking recently at the West African regional conference on youth employment in Dakar, Senegal the former president said the growing rate of unemployment among youths is alarming that the effects can only be imagined.
He asserted that there is absence of serious, concrete, realistic, short and long term solution to youth unemployment. He revealed that the youth employment rate which was at 72 per cent in 1999 was reduced to 52 per cent in 2004 and as at 2011 was at 71 per cent again.
Incentives to be created by national leaders according to Obasanjo should include a special attention to agriculture business as against mere farming.
Obasanjo said there is need for easy access to land and micro credit, and the need to review the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) in order to accommodate issues around youth unemployment and job creation.
He also advocated the review of school curriculum to enable undergraduates spend additional one year to learn entrepreneurship.


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Monday, September 10, 2012

ECOWAS partner UNDP to boost food production


The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have partnered in a scheme towards value addition for a number of key crops in the West Africa sub-region.
The partnership seeks to boost food production in the sub-region while creating jobs, increasing farmers' income opportunities and Small and Medium Enterprise that deal with cash crops.
Some of the crops sidelined for the initiative include mangoes, onions and cassavas. NaijaAgroNet learnt that Cassava has been chosen following its classification as staple food in Sierra Leone and Ghana over the past three years while Nigeria is on the forefront of its producers in the region.
Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Mali are the leading producers of onion in the region, however NaijaAgroNet further gathered that these three countries face stiff competition from farmers in Europe, Asia and North Africa as regards quality and packaging.


Yinka Awosanya/LS
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Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Solar Jooce, BATNF train women solar technicians


Women at the training exercise
          In a bid to reduce unemployment among women in Nigeria, Solar Jooce and British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) have concluded the first phase of training of the some rural Oyo women on assemblage and repairs of basic solar lanterns and phone charging units.
This follows the recent signing of an agreement to train these rural women in Oyo State and sealed between the Executive Director, BATN Foundation, Mr. Gbenga Ibikunle and the chief executive officer, Solar Jooce, Mr. David Agbakoba.
Speaking on the development, Solar Jooce boss, Mr. Agbakoba noted that of the world's 1.6 billion people living without electricity, 80 per cent live in Sub Saharan Africa.
Solar Jooce, a social enterprise dedicated to improve the quality of life of rural communities in Nigeria that have little or no access to electricity, through its coordinator, Anne Agbakoba, revealed to NaijaAgroNet that the main objective of the agreement in its pilot stage was to train an initial 20 rural ladies to become solar technicians and to help them set up solar micro-business.
This, she said, has kicked-off with the training which covers four local governments in Oyo State, namely Areas in Oyo state - Itesiwaju, Kajola, Oyo West, and Iseyin. The exercise, she said, is meant to empower the ladies to light up their communities and spread the use of solar as an alternative to dangerous and expensive fossil fuelled lighting such as the kerosene lamps.
She also confirmed to NaijaAgroNet that the initiative would be moved to other states across the federation with the collaboration of British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation, an independent charitable organization incorporated in Nigeria with the vision to improve the quality of life of citizens in rural and urban in Nigeria.
Women at the training exercise 
Equally, she explained that the initiative entails a marketing and financial management training entitled ‘Growing your new solar Micro-business’ was conducted in Yoruba by Mrs. Yemi Owolabi, executive director, Finance of Standard Chartered Bank, Nigeria.
The Solar Jooce women’s empowerment initiative, NaijaAgroNet gathered, is a small step in the daunting task of providing a clean, alternative source of electricity, alleviating poverty, and providing opportunities for rural families in Nigeria.
NaijaAgroNet recalls that the training workshop is also supported by the Hertz Corporation, C & I Leasing (transport & logistics), Sesema PR, and the Bishop of Ajayi Crowther Diocese, Bishop O. O. Oduntan.
The first phases of the initiative was a massive awareness creation about the use and benefits of solar applications through the donation of combined solar lantern and phone charging unit to a community in the 36 states of the country.
Further, the second phase, NaijaAgroNet gathered is a long-term capacity building scheme which to train women in the assembling and troubleshooting solar applications in order for them to be able to start their own small solar trade with its first pilot in June 2012.
Remmy Nweke
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Saturday, June 2, 2012

Outlook calls on government to boost job creation for African youths


The May edition of the African Economic Outlook has called on African governments to boost jobs creation for youths on the continent.
NaijaAgroNet gathered that the population of African youth is expected to double by 2045 giving the continent one billion workforce and making it the largest globally.
To this, the Outlook urged the government to provide employment opportunities and also ensure a political process that would allow the youths to express their views towards policy changes in order to prevent instability on 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," part of the Outlook made available to NaijaAgroNet reads.
The current trend of education on the continent, NaijaAgroNet further gathered will result to 59 per cent of 20-24 years old with secondary education by 2030 as against the present 42 per cent.
Yinka Awosanya/LS
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Thursday, May 31, 2012

Jonathan bans foreign foods at govt functions


President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has banned continental dishes at all government official functions in order to promote local foods.
He said, the move by the federal government to ban foreign foods at state functions is to encourage the consumption of what is produced locally.
“We must grow local, buy local and eat local,” he declared.
The prescribed local foods by the president, NaijaAgroNet learnt includes local rice and cassava bread, to make use of the large population to create market for locally produced foods.
In his democracy day presidential address, Jonathan noted that the state house has been feeding on cassava bread and local rice, hence keeping his promise.
“Our agricultural transformation agenda is directed at promoting local production,” he said.
President Jonathan also asserted that agriculture accounts for about 40 per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), while creating job opportunities for over 70 per cent of the total population.
He expressed the federal government’s move in the transforming the agriculture sector as Nigeria has a huge comparative advantage and increase in productivity, saying it would help reduce the rate of rural poverty as well as reviving the rural economy.
“Our goal is to add 20 million metric tonnes of food to our domestic food supply by 2015 and create 3.5 million jobs,” he said, stressing, “We are aggressively pursuing an agricultural transformation agenda.”
President Jonathan further affirmed that agriculture is no longer a development programme, hence the need to treat it as a business, one that could generate wealth and create jobs for millions of our youths.
Giving the reason behind the federal government stopping the distribution of fertilizers, the president said only 11 per cent of farmers benefit from the fertilizers that was earlier distributed. “The old system encouraged rent seekers to collude and deprive farmers of access to fertilizers, while some of the fertilizers ended up with political farmers and in neighbouring countries,” he said.
This, NaijaAgroNet learnt lead to the total deregulation of the procurement and commercialization of fertilizers and seeds by the federal government to the private sector in order to put an end to corruption culture in fertilizer procurement exercise.
Yinka Awosanya/LS
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