Delta Empowers 500 Youths

No fewer than 500 youths in Delta have benefited from the state government’s Youth Empowerment Through Agriculture (YETA) Programme, in 2010.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mrs Omatsola Williams, who disclosed this to newsmen in Asaba, said the beneficiaries were trained in various aspects of agricultural production.

She said that about 75 per cent of the trained youths had already been empowered with necessary materials for their self-employment ventures.

According to her, 20 youths, who were selected from each of  the 25 local government areas of the state, were trained at the Songhai-Delta, Amukpe, in vocations which included livestock, fishery and crop production

She said the one month training of the youths was carried out between April and May 2010, adding that after the session, participants were empowered in their chosen enterprises in cluster sites in the 25 council areas.

“Some old cluster sites were expanded while some new sites were developed in some areas”, the commissioner said.

She, however, said funding hampered progress in most of the ministry’s programmes during the year.

According to her, out of the sum of N1.65 billion approved in 2009 for the implementation of Farmers Support Programme (FSP) and YETA, only N650 million was released.

She disclosed that the ministry’s main thrust in activities in 2011 was completion of ongoing projects “with the proposed capital estimates of N89.3 million”.