To ensure food security under its “Arise Agenda”, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has sent 31 youths for training in Songhai agricultural technology at Cotonou, Benin Republic.
The exercise is to ease the transfer of such agricultural techniques to farmers in the state.
Governor Eno announced this when he fielded questions from journalists at the Victor Attah International Airport, Uyo, the state capital, upon his return to the state from an official trip to explore agricultural investment opportunities for the state.
He said, “The visit to Songhai farm was to see for ourselves what we are about getting into, and have a clear understanding of how it works, and that we have done.
“Myself and the team, we are extremely amazed at what we have seen on the ground and I believe we can replicate that. We need to get committed people. The story of Songhai is commitment, commitment, commitment and commitment.
“I know Akwa Ibom people are committed people. We are going to get young people across the 31 local government areas that are committed. They will be trained. We are about sending 31 of them off to Songhai for two months to get firsthand view of the training and then bring them back.
By that time, the farm clearing would have been over.”
The governor explained that the 31 trainees will complement the 15 youths who had undergone training to work in the farm, and identified commitment as a major requirement to setting up and maintaining the Songhai farm.
“While I was running for office, we trained 15 before on my personal account. So, the fifteen are here now. We are going to train another 31 to make it probably forty, send them to Songhai and they will learn and come back and join the farm. But, what is most important is to have young people who are committed, leaders that are committed. I am sure we will be able to make this happen,” he stressed.
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