NDE-FCT Flags Off 2021 POST SADTS To Boost Agro-businesses

By Otobong Gabriel Akpakpan, Abuja

In line with the Federal Government avowed commitments to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty, the National Directorate of Employment FCT has flagged off Post Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme (Post SADTS) in Abuja.

The Director General, National Directorate of Employment Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo who was represented by the FCT state Cordinator Mallam Hassan Isa Koto, said the five days Post SADTS which is ongoing in all the 36 states of the federation is targeted at encouraging and boosting the capacities of the 50 graduate trainees on agricultural intervention policies, livestock production, digital marketing of agricultural products as well as fish processing, packaging and marketing.

In his address, the FCT state Coordinator of the NDE, Mallam Hassan Isa Koto said the Federal Government is not leaving any stone unturn in encouraging Nigerian youths to embrace and see Agriculture as a very profitable business, a key to long-term economic growth, employment and wealth creation.

Koto however expressed his displeasure over the beneficiaries's inappropriateness in their investment strategies which has resulted in their default in repayment of their loan portfolios as observed in the past, and encouraged participants to take the training serious as its not only going to remedy the poor loan repayment status but will enhance their capacity with knowledge of modern Agricultural policies, incentives and linkages to other sources of funding for their respective enterprises.

Also the Head of Department, Rural Employment Promotion (REP) of the NDE-FCT, Alabi Adeoye said the training is for graduates of SADTS and other schemes of REP who wants to expand their Agro-enterprises or acquire knowledge to establish new ones and encouraged the selected beneficiaries to make good use of the opportunity to improve their Agro-businesses.

Daniel Idachaba appreciated the Federal Government for their demonstrated commitments to fight poverty in Nigeria through agricultural development programmes, saying that the post SADTS will equip them with the needed knowledge and information to make informed decision on their investment strategies and asked government to render the necessary financial assistance as promised, to transmit the knowledge gained from the training into practical use.