Airforce Rolls Out Agric Empowerment Programme

Officers of the Tac
tical Air Command of the Nigerian Airforce, Makurdi are to benefit from an agricultural empowerment programme initiated by the Airforce High Command.
According to a monitored newsprogramme on Radio Nigeria by our correspondent recently, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Sadiaq Abubakar inaugurated the scheme at the Tactical Air Command, Makurdi.
Abubakar stated that the gesture was basically in response to the federal government’s position of shifting from oil to agriculture to improve the economy.
He said the scheme was a child of necessity and urged the beneficiaries to use the money judiciously in order to improve their standard of living.
“The inauguration of the youth empowerment programme is therefore a fulfillment of our resolve to key into Mr President’s policy of diversification to other sectors, especially agriculture”, he said.
According to the air chief, the airforce high command has already arranged with finance institutions for appropriate disbursement of funds to them.
The Air Officer Commanding, Tactical Air Command, Makurdi, Air Vice Marshall Mohammed Mohamadu explained that the youths are to be engaged in three basic areas of agriculture.
“The participants in the barracks youth empowerment agric programme are divided into three basic groups.
“They include poultry, fishery and crop farming”, he said.
Governor Samuel Ortom who was represented by the State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mr James Ambowa spoke on diverse areas of intervention.
“Benue State has already made available 3,750 hectares of land to youths to participate in agriculture”, he said.
Some of the beneficiaries barred their minds on what they intend to venture into.
“I am going into poultry farming because I love it and I feel that this is the season”, a female beneficiary said.
Another beneficiary stated that “I am going directly into cattle rearing.”
The beneficiaries are to access their loans through cooperatives in order to ensure probity and monitoring.