The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has commenced the training of 100 participants on Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme (SADTS) in Nasarawa State.

The NDE Coordinator in the state, Mr Chris Bamsida, said this in Lafia on Wednesday at the opening ceremony of 38 prospective loan beneficiaries.

Bamsida said the programme was designed yo hoodt agricultural production and ensure fod security in the country.

He said that the training was aimed at making the participants to become self-reliant and employers of labour in agriculture in their respective areas as well as fight poverty in the state.

“An occasion to conduct orientation ceremony for prospective loan beneficiaries of Agribusiness Empowerment Scheme (AES), Community Based Agricultural Empowerment Scheme (CBAES), Graduate Agricultural Empowerment Scheme (GAES) and Sustainable Agricultural Development Scheme (SADES).

“Also, the training of 100 participants of Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme (SADTS) in Nasarawa State.

“The scheme are targeted at unemployed graduates of tertiary institutions, school leavers, school dropouts and artisans who have interest in doing agribusiness.

“The objectives of the schemes are to impact agricultural skills on graduates, school leavers, school dropouts and artisans to empower the remaining 38 graduated trainees of AES, CBAES, GAES and SADES with loan package.

“To impact marketable and functional skills on the participants, to reduce their dependency on other people thereby reducing poverty and to improve the living standard of the people,” he said.

According to him, it is worthy to note that 108 beneficiaries of these schemes, which represent 60 per cent, have received N100,000 each in December 2021.

“The remaining 40 per cent, that is 38 prospective loan beneficiaries, will be given N100,000 each soon.

“The interest rate for the loan is nine per cent with a moratorium period of six months before they start paying back and the loan is repayable in three (3) years,” he said.

Bamsida urged the beneficiaries of the loan to use it judiciously and pay back so that other people could benefit as well.

He also said that the 100 selected participants for the Sustainable Agricultural Training Scheme (SADTS) would be trained for three months.

“The first two (2) weeks will be experiential training on life skills lecture, record keeping, crop production, digital marketing of agricultural products and business plan.

“While two months and two weeks will be practical demonstration on vegetable farming and poultry production,” he added.

The state coordinator also advised the benrficiaries to participants actively in the training.

He added that indiscipline or truancy of any nature would not be entertained.

Bamsida appreciated Gov. Abdullahi Sule for creating an enabling environment for the directorate to actualise its mandate.

He also thanked the Director General of NDE, Malam Abubakar Nuhu-Fikpo, for considering Nasarawa state for these schemes.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture and Water Resources, Mr Nuhu Ibrahim-Oshafu, who served as Chairman of the occasion, assured the directorate of its collaboration in order to boost agricultural production in the state.

The commissioner, represented by Mr Julius Kigbu, the Director of Administration and Supplies, enjoined the beneficiaries to use the loan for the purpose it was made for.

Also speaking, Dr Musa Maikeffi, the Provost, College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Lafia, commended NDE for keying into agricultural programmes and other schemes that have direct bearing on the lives of unemployed youths and other Nigerians.

The provost, who was represented by the institution’s Deputy Provost, Dr Peter Aboki, urged the beneficiaries to take the training serious in their interest and for the overall development of the country.

On his part, the Director, Rural Employment Promotion (REP), NDE headquarters, Dr Michael Mbata, urged the benficiaries to refund the loan as at when due, adding that the loan is not a national cake.

Mbata, represented by Mrs Blessing Owan, the Principal Rural Employment Promotion Officer (PREPO), also urged the participants to take advantage of the training.