Governor David Umahi plans to make multimillionaires out of 10,000 youths in Ebonyi through agricultural engagements.
Mr Umahi mooted the plan at the graduation of 171 Ebonyi youths trained at the CSS Integrated Farms in Gora in the Karu local government area of Nasarawa.
The youths were trained in animal feed production, garri processing, using automated equipment, rice milling and packaging.
They were also trained in irrigation farming, production of egg crates, soya beans cake production, poultry, fishing and mechanised agriculture over one month.
The governor said 300 Ebonyi youths had earlier benefitted from the agricultural training programme in the same institution.
“If you add the 300 to the 171 graduating today, we are getting close to 500 graduates. I saw their excitement and willingness. It was obvious that they have discovered their destinies,” Mr Umahi. “We shall empower them. We shall encourage them to form cooperatives, a kind of farmers club. Back home, we have people that we have so empowered with start-up capital of between N300,000 and N5 million.”
The Ebonyi governor added, “With this project, we are going to raise multimillionaires for them to graduate into multibillionaires. This is God’s vision because every step of it is God’s directive.”
He stated that the training would give beneficiaries a new lease of life and take their minds off unwholesome practices.
“We have graduated from infrastructure in which we have laid an irreversible foundation for our state. It is now time to build on the infrastructure. Agriculture is part of it, and we are building the people to go into it,” Mr Umahi explained.
The governor added, “From there, industrialisation will spring up in the state. I feel excited because when God gives you an assignment, it may look so tasking and insurmountable. But if you accept it, you will see God making a way.”
(NAN)
