Federal College of Horticulture in Gombe State to train 100 Igbo graduates on poultry production

ABOUT 100 unemployed graduates from the southeast geo-political zone have been offered training by the Federal College of Horticulture in Gombe State to enable them commence poultry production.

Designed as part of a programme to reduce unemployment and make the youngsters employers of labour, the college at Dadin-Kowa in Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State has taken in its first batch of graduates.  Flagging off the training exercise yesterday, Professor Fatima Sawa, the college provost, said that the programme was a federal government initiative introduced through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with the Senate Committee on Agriculture.

She explained further that the purpose of the training is to empower unemployed youths and women and make them self-reliant and employers of labour in the future, which in turn will ensure food security across the country. Professor Sawa implored the participants to bear with the situation they find themselves in at the college and let their determination and interest overrule any discomfort because after the training, each participant would be given a starter pack to start his or her business venture.

She added that in 2019, the college has lined up 27 training programme to be conducted, pointing out that so far this was the eighth batch, while subsequent schemes would be in post-harvest processing as well as orchid and fisheries production. Professor Sawa commended the federal government for such an initiative and added that it will go a long way in reducing social vices in the society especially among unemployed people.

Steven Umr, a consultant from Houge Logistics, Port Harcourt who will conduct the training exercise, said it will last for four days, during which poultry management, poultry disease, packaging, marketing and agricultural ecology would be taught. He urged the participants to be attentive and learn so that they will go back to where they came from with the knowledge of poultry production.

Chief Police Superintendant Umar Yidaku of the Dadin/Kowa Area Command, assured the participants that they were safe in Gombe State. He urged them to feel at home assuring them of their security while they were in  Gombe State.