WOW:- Ekiti govt to give 114 youths 600 hectares for farming

- No fewer than 114 youths in Ekiti state will be getting about 600 Hectares for crop farming

- The initiative is a collaboration between the state government and the Agro Nigerian Ventures Limited in Ado Ekiti

- This would reduce unemployment among youths

The Ekiti state government in collaboration with and the Agro Nigerian Ventures Limited will be giving no fewer than 114 youths about 600 hectares for crop farming under the Agriculture Service Provider Programme (ASPP).

Under the programme, at least five graduates from each of the 16 local governments in the state had been trained in farming, especially crops, Vanguard reports.

Mathew Ajayi Aderiye, the chairman of ANVL, said the programme would not only improve food security in the nation, it would also reduce unemployment among youths.

He said: “We have just trained the 114 youths at the Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti. The programme has changed the thinking of these trainees towards farming. They have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with crops association that wants to make use of their services once they get their power tiller machine

“They have also signed an agreement with off takers – companies that want to buy their products at harvest – especially maize.

“A company has approached us for 800,000 tonnes of maize and they are looking for people to plant them. They offered the youths to plant two hectares of maize for them. The company will supply the seedlings; so Ekiti would soon become the food basket of the nation.”

Aderiye said Nigeria was blessed with good climate and had the potential of being among the world best food producers.