Women and youths in the twenty five local government areas of Delta State have been urged to key into the various capacity building and empowerment programmes of the administration of President Bola Tinubu geared towards improving their socio-economic and educational wellbeing, and the overall development of the country.
This was the submission of various key speakers at a town hall meeting in Asaba, organized by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation on sensitizing the citizenry on Federal Government intervention programmes.
Chairman, Committee of Heads of Federal Government Establishments, and Delta State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr John Onovioke noted that the administration of President Bola Tinubu, in its determination to boost agriculture to achieve food security, earmarked abot ten per cent of the nation’s 2024 budget on agriculture in line with the Maputo Agreement of which Nigeria is a signatory.
Onovioke who noted that the present administration had trained all the extension workers across the country to boost their capacity, highlighted other achievements recorded in the agriculture and food security sector to include:
“This present administration has helped to draw grants from the African Development Bank, and it comes with what is called the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro Pockets. And the bank under the leadership of Dr Akinwumi Adesina has given the country the grants to promote and support farmers in key priority commodities, including wheat. The first phase of that programme was drawn from the nineteen northern states and they have taken off”.
He stated further, ” In Delta State here, for the season farming, we were given 2,820 farmers to be empowered , and we have nine irrigation centres presently in Delta. Three per Senatorial District.In Delta North,we have in Ugbolu, Ogwashi-Uku, and Abavo. In Delta Central, we have in Sapele,Abraka and Ughelli. In Delta South, we have in Oleh,Patani and Warri. So, these farmers are clustered around those areas for rice, maize and cassava.
In a paper presentation, the Delta State Director of the Orientation Agency, Mrs Tracy Ikolomi, stated that ten thousand youths of the Niger Delta Delta region were being provided relief of fifty thousand naira each monthly under the NDDC Youth Empowerment Internship Programme recently flagged off to help the youth to acquire desired skills and work experience.
Ikolomi brought to the fore the Presidential Amnesty Programme in the region as being implemented in the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu’s administration.
According to the NOA State Director, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund has disbursed 2,946,927,155.00 naira interest free loan, including monthly upkeep for 27, 667 students so far.
Ikolomi said,”The revamped Niger Delta Presidential Amnesty programme led by Chief Dr. Dennis Otuaro who was recently appointed by President Tinubu, has given renewed hope to the Niger Delta.The youths in the region have opportunity to key into this programme which was launched by the late President Yar ‘Adua in 2009 when repented militants from the Niger Delta voluntarily surrendered their weapons to the federal government to seek peace and profitable engagements”.
In another paper presentation as positioning Nigeria as a global hub for talent export,and global partnership, Delta State Coordinator, National Directorate of Employment,Mrs Edith Omoku said the federal government had rolled out various initiatives to help the youths to discover and develop their talents for export.
Two other heads of federal establishments, the State Manager, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN, Leke Babalola who spoke through his admin staff, Charles Conveh, and the Head, Skills Development and Certification, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Daniel Chibuzor said government placed much priority to job creation through training, retraining, provision of starter packs and loan facilities to make beneficiaries of such programmes to set up their businesses.
Delivering an address of welcome, the Head of Federal Information Centre, Asaba, Felix Ijomahs stated, ” Today town hall meeting is part of the enlightenment programme to ensure that people are able to get the necessary information to benefit from Federal Government intervention programmes . Here in Delta State,the campaign and sensitization programme has been going with rallies at the Midwifery Market along Okpanam road and Okpanam Roundabout. The Federal Government is desirous to ensuring that its various intervention programmes are brought to the knowledge of Nigerians to enable them take advantage and key into them. These programmes cut across various sectors.”