FIRS, Agribusiness Firm Collaborate To Empower 60 South West Youths In Livestock Production
•By Oyeniyi Awojoodu
IBADAN – No fewer than 60 youths have been selected across some states in the South West for an empowerment schemes powered by the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS).
The empowerment is aimed at creating job opportunities for youths, as well ensure food sufficiency in the country.
Speaking shortly after the commencement of the training held at Wonderful Springboard Farm Ibadan, the Capital City of Oyo State, Benedicta Akpana who represented the Executive Chairman of Federal Inland Revenue Service, Dr Zacheus Adedeji at the event note that the training is aimed to empower youth in agribusiness, most especially in poultry business.
Benedicta further maintained that the training is meant to equip youths for better future and to also make millionaires out of Nigerian thereby expanding tax net and exporting poultry products from the country.
She said, “We are currently sponsoring a livestock farming training and empowerment for the youths of the south west, precisely Oyo State, Ondo and Ekiti State respectively, we just concluded the first phase in Oyo State, and the next phase is will be in Ekiti State, scheduled for 12th and 13th December 2024 and the last batch which is in Ondo State will be coming up on 16th and 17th December respectively.
“The Oyo state training is a very successful one, there is a very good the venue for the training which is Wonderful Springboard Farm, we have 24 youths in attendance and FIRS will be empower them after the training with a little token to achieve their dreams and vision of rearing livestock, poultry to be precise.
“We believe in the next five years these trainees will be a potential livestock farmers.” Benedicta said.
The convener of the programme, Mr Femi Oludare Roland in his remarks stressed that no fewer than sixty (60) youths have been selected for the training across the South West States.
He said, ” as the convener of the livestock training for 60 youths in South West Nigeria, and also the CEO of Just snails Africa, we partnered with FIRS to bring this training to reality and so we’ve started yesterday which happened to be the first day, and today which is the second day in the city of Ibadan where we will be presenting the certificates of participation to the trainers.
“We believed that this training is very important this time and we are very optimistic that it will turn out well for our youths in terms of job creation, because immediately after this training we are making this place an incubation center where they will be getting more training on livestock rearing, somit will be more easier for them to set up on their own farm.
“We are expecting these youths after setting up their farms to start employ people for job creation and wealth creation, this will also banished and eradicate hunger in our country.
“So, our goals is basically is to ensure food sufficiency. Food security is our major goal and that’s exactly why we are here. We just don’t want people to keep blaming the government for the challenge of economy, we all have to go back to the farm to ensure food sufficiency, we need to get more youths back into agriculture and not into tech and other sector alone but also into agriculture.” Femi stressed.
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One of the beneficiaries of the empowerment scheme, Funmi Ogundogbon, a teacher, said “I have learnt so many things about poultry business here today, I have my own little poultry business I’m running but after this training, I have decided to increase it to a larger scale.”
“My expectations is to get a loan so I can be able to do it better, I have learnt a lot regarding poultry business, our host made mention about biosecurity, he said bio means life while security means protection, so biosecurity put together means security of life, so with that knowledge I’m well equipped.
“We have been taught that birds are not even ready to die, that it is we human that do cause their deaths in most cases, so I’m more equipped with skills and knowledge, I now know how to take good care of my birds and to increase them, so I’m looking forward to FIRS to support maybe by giving us the materials and loans to increase my poultry business.” Funmi said.