Plateau Govt Engages 20,000 Youths In Agro-Industrial Chains

Plateau State government has reiterated its commitment to youth development by projecting the expansion of the state’s farm projects to engage at least 20,000 youths in agriculture and agro-industrial chains.

The commissioner for youths and sports development, Hon. Musa Ashoms, disclosed this at an event organised for youths to mark two years of Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s administration.

The event with the theme, “Celebrating Two Years of Youth-Inclusive Leadership,” which took place at Victoria Gowon Hall, Government House, Little Rayfield, Jos, brought together youths from across the state for dialogue, empowerment updates and strategic engagement with government officials.

Governor Mutfwang, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Arch. Samuel Jatau, delivered a message to the young people, urging them to take charge of their futures by focusing on skills development and entrepreneurship.

According to Ashoms, in two short years, Governor  Mutfwang has planted seeds that are already bearing fruits.

“Today, I say this proudly not just as your commissioner for youth and sports development, but also as a fellow believer in the youth power of Plateau State,” he said.

The commissioner said the state government had signed an arrangement with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Ibadan to train 10,000 youths in tranches, adding that with agriculture being the new oil, this initiative strategically positions young people to not just be farmers, but agricpreneurs solution providers in food security.

The commissioner also stated that thousands of youths would soon be engaged in productive and profitable agriculture through the BARC Farm Project, positioning Plateau State as a center for agri-business innovation and food processing.

“Through the leadership of the Federal Minister of Digital Economy, arrangements have been made to establish an outsourcing and technology hub in Jos. This will be housed by the Standard Building in Jos after it has been refurbished and remodeled to create a global outsourcing avenue for our tech-savvy youth to connect to markets worldwide and earn across borders in digital services and products,” he said.

Ashoms maintained that over 250 Plateau youths were currently undergoing training at the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre in Shere Hills, Lamingo.