Centre for Food, Technology and Research (CEFTER), of the Benue State University (BSU), Makurdi has awarded N600,000 to each of the eleven young entrepreneurs who are committed to help farmers in the control of post- harvest losses.
The leader of the Center, Dr. Barnabas Ikyo who disclosed this during the presentation of cheques to beneficiaries at the institution’s senate chambers explained that the young entrepreneurs have been carefully selected across the country by experts.
Ikyo said N7.2 million of the N15 million earmarked for the project was shared among the beneficiaries while the remaining balance was split to cover other aspects that will help them to start on a good note which includes three months training, among others.
The event, according to him, was jointly organised by CEFTER BSU, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Accelerated Lab and Bai Hub to engage young persons to become employers of labour.
He said, “The criteria for selecting beneficiaries was made open for entrepreneurs across Africa however the 1,200 persons that applied were only Nigerians who saw the need to apply and follow the process, we also hired experts to do the selection with their own professional criteria and at the end, eleven names were shortlisted.
“The focus of this project is how we can engage young talented minds in agriculture especially in the area of controlling post -harvest losses in West and Central Africa, and for this, we have been training young persons in the past 5-7 years, so now we have move from the classroom into the community and market and we are trying to see how this approach of empowering young entrepreneurs can practically put an end to post harvest losses.”
Earlier the vice chancellor, Benue State University Makurdi, Prof. Joe-Tor Iorapuu who commended CEFTER for their move to take youths off the streets and as well put smiles on the faces of farmers said, the purpose of every institution is to grow young people and BSU will not be an exception. So for us, we want to grow and established young minds within and outside the country.
