Kunle Adelabu & Kenneth Odede
The Lagos State Government through the Office of Rural Development has continued its empowerment for residents across the state with fish farming training and empowerment programme for youths in Igbogbo/Baiyeku Local Council Development Area and Ikorodu Local Government.
The training conducted through the Centre for Rural Development (CERUD) for 50 youths at the Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA secretariat hall on Thursday is aimed at addressing unemployment and to make participants economically independent.
The training which is part of larger plans to develop a sustainable development in the state is themed: “Empowering the Youth for Self – Reliance and Sustainable Socio – Economic Development”
At the end of the training, participants were provided with certificates, cash support and modern fish farming tools and inputs – feeds to enhance fish growth and yield, fish breeds to start production with, large-capacity fish tanks for hatchery and rearing purposes, and other basic equipment that will aid their productions and operations.
Dr Nurudeen Agbaje, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Rural Development speaking with journalists, at the training said that the initiative was developed to create employment opportunities for youths and make them self – reliant.
“The initiative is an idea of Mr. Governor, Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu. It’s an idea established and embedded under the agency to eliminate poverty within our teeming youth. Therefore, if they are serious with their daily activities after this training, they can be self – reliant and that’s the whole idea about it.
“If they develop serious interests in the business and are ready to grow, Mr. Governor is ready to expand their business and empower them. That’s the key idea.”
He said that the Governor of Lagos State has given approval that the empowerment should be conducted across the divisions in the state.
“We have done the same programme on Lagos Island 1 and 2 and Badagry 1 and 2 have also benefited from this programme. We are also going to Epe by next month. We are going across the divisions.
“Mr. Governor has given us the approval to conduct the training round the entire divisions, so, we are just taking it step by step all around the Local Governments and the LCDAs within the Lagos,” Dr. Agbaje said.
The Executive Chairman, Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA, Omo’ba Hammed Olalekan Aroyewun, commended the governor for his initiatives in empowering youths in the state while adding that his own administration already has plans to key into the THEMES Plus agenda to empower and develop the youths.
“We are in it already and the manifesto of our party is clear on agriculture, the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu and the THEMES Plus Agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo – Olu, are in tandem with what we are planning here. We are in it, because it’s all about food security, youth empowerment, progress, and development. That’s why we have no choice than to key into it and contribute hundred percent.”
He charged youths to show serious commitment towards the government’s initiative to get them empowered.
“Youths must show commitment and be serious, because once you show that, the government too will show sincerity of purpose and continue to do more because this would help the country grow, it would help the state grow and create job opportunities and eradicate street menace on our roads and solve a lot of problems in our society.
“We are in it, 100 percent.”
The Director, Centre for Rural Development, Mr Musbau Balogun, also speaking said that the feedback from the farmers informed the continuous training and empowerment initiatives.
“Yes, the training has been moving from one location to the other. What informed the movement is the feedback that we continue to get from the farmers because they have been the target especially the grassroots farmers that form the base of the food pyramid in the country.
“You know food security has been a challenge and all hands must be on deck to make sure that we contribute our own quota to the sustenance of food production and affordability. That is what has informed the movement of the training and the target are the rural farmers.
“And, you know that in Lagos State, we have more dwellers in rural community and an average number of them are farmers at subsistence level and also in order to expand the scope of what they are doing, that’s what informed the training,” he explained further.
He also emphasised that the government has an effective monitoring mechanism in place to monitor beneficiaries’ performances.
“We have a feedback system; a unit in the center that monitors how they have been doing, especially those that have been empowered and we have a programme in the center that is taking us to their farm to see what they’re doing. It is through the platform that we also hear from some of them with challenges which we usually attend to promptly.
The Director charged participants to ensure that they remain and support the government’s aim of bringing about sustainable food security.
“The unique thing is for them to be focused and remain in the business because there will always be challenges. We have asked them to ensure that they continue with what they are doing and we will continue to provide assistance for them,” he assured.
The training facilitator, Mr Akin Busari trained participants on how to grow, protect their fish and market their produce.
Some of the participants that spoke with our reporter commended the government for the empowerment.
Mr Oluwaseun Shoderu, one of the participants said that the training would help him have effective management skills that would aid in properly managing the fish business.
“In skill, I have been a bit limited in experience, but with what I have learnt here today, I have learnt how to manage business, especially in the fish industry and I thank God for those that were able to put this together – the Lagos State Government, and Ministry of Rural Development. They really tried to educate us in growing our business and I am really grateful for this opportunity,” he said.
Mrs Fatimo Omotayo Yunus from Lajo Community in Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA, speaking after the training and receipt of the government’s empowerment support, said:
“We thank our Governor for this opportunity given to the youth on the rural area empowerment programmme for fish farming. We are very grateful and we promise that everything given to us would be used the way they want it and more of it would come. We really appreciate it.
“We thank him so much and the new Chairman, Igbogbo/Baiyeku LCDA, Hon. Hammed Olalekan Aroyewun.”
She said that she has been expecting empowerment for a long time.
“Wow, this is a wonderful thing. I have been expecting it for more than 3 years now and when I was called that something like this was going to happen, I was very happy and it w.ill go a very long way in helping my family,” she noted.
