The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in collaboration with the Commodity Allied Farmers Association of Nigeria (COMAFAS) kicks off training of 75 youth on fisheries in Bauchi State.
This was disclosed by Dr Austine Maduka, the National President of COMAFAS during an interview with journalists recently in Bauchi. He said the training is part of ECOWAS initiative and strategy towards the capacity building of youths in the food value chain systems through the grants partnership with COMAFAS.
According to him, We inaugurated the second phase of the training recently in Bauchi with 75 youth participants that would be trained on fishery for five months in the state.
“The first phase was inaugurated in Abuja last week with 75 youth participants to receive training on poultry.
“Therefore, a total of 150 youths in the ratio of 75 by 75 with 30% women shall be trained under the ECOWAS grant of $77, 942,” Maduka said.
Maduka informed that the youths’ training would strengthen and enhance meat and fish availability, as well as reducing unemployment among youth in the country.
According to him, COMAFAS will provide the technical training on how to grow fish and would take the participants through the rudiments of fishery in the state.
“We mobilized women, youths and all intending and practicing farmers, who have little or no farming ideas to become self-sufficient in agriculture business, through supportive and secured platform – COMAFAS ,” he said.
Dr Maduka used this opportunity to urge stakeholders across the country to support youth empowerment through various initiatives on agriculture, “such as fisheries, processing and preservation of perishable items and other essential agricultural products in Nigeria,” He said.
The president also appealed to the Bauchi State Government to take ownership of the project by encouraging the youth in facilitating some of the activities.
He also urged participants to utilise these lofty initiatives for the best interests of improving their income and adding value to the National domestic products(GDP).
Maduka explained that COMAFAS will partner Thailand on modern farming and training of our youths in agriculture to boost food production in the country.
