As part of its efforts in ensuring that there is job opportunities for teeming unemployed youths across the country, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), has embark on a 5-day training of fifty (50) unemployed youths in Small Stock (Goat) Production Training Scheme, through the Rural Employment Promotions (REP)department in Ogun State.
Speaking during the recent flag off of small stock (goat) production in Ogun State, the Director General of the National Directorate of Employment, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo stressed that the engagement of unemployed youths in the goat production business, along its value chain plays an important role in the socioeconomic, and religious life of the farming communities.
He noted that the training will help in terms of provision income and supply of food for the local population and the country at large.
The Director General who was ably represented by Ogun State Coordinator of NDE, Mr. Alao Babatunde Ismail maintained that, goat production is an economically viable business venture because its value chain for commercial production has great employment potential. It enjoys a very wide market share with all the products in high demand.
He further reiterated that each skill area will be anchored by different experienced Resource persons in order to ensure their proficiency at the end of the training period.
He therefore, implored the participants to strive to participate effectively so that at the end of the training, the objective(s) of the training will be optimally achieved.
Welcoming the fortunate beneficiaries to the orientation programme, Ogun State NDE Coordinator, Mr. Alao said, ‘Goat is a source of meat, milk, hide and skin and fertilizers from dropping. The skin is used by tanning industries for the manufacture of leather for local and foreign exchange earnings.
The NDE Ogun State HOD of REP department, Mr. Omitogun Azeez said, ‘The training curriculum is structured to include topics, such as introduction to Goat farming, feeding of goats, management of goat, prevention and control of disease, processing/packaging of goat meat, and marketing of goat products, among others.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Director of Rural Employment Programme, REP Department, Dr Michael Mbata represented by Ms Oruoyehu Beatrice, enjoined the trainees to consider themselves lucky to be shortlisted among thousands of interested unemployed persons in the state, while noting that the NDE interventions have assisted the Nation in reducing the scourge of poverty in Nigeria.