FG, World Bank approve graduate employment scheme in agribusiness for 6,000

 The Federal Government and World Bank have approved an initiative known as Graduate Unemployment Youth Support Scheme (GUYSS) under the FADAMA III Project. The scheme aims to engage about 6,000 youths in agricultural enterprises.


Mr. Tayo Adewunmi, Fadama National Project Coordinator, who disclosed this recently at a meeting with the Ondo State Federated Fadama Community Association (FFCA) in Akure, the Ondo State capital, said the first stage will involve about 300 young people aged between 18 and 35 years in 20 states. They would be encouraged to go into agriculture as a profession and business.

He said between 500 and 1,000 youths would be accommodated under the scheme in subsequent programmes.

"The programme, named GUYSS, is to encourage youths from the ages of 18 to 35 and maximum of 40 years to go into agriculture as a profession and business. By end of June, starter packs should be given to the youths based on different enterprise of interest like aquaculture, or poultry.

"We want to make sure that the rice we are producing, we bring it out publicly, and give it a name and brand. What the World Bank wants us to do is to test-run the project in about 10 states, but we were able to convince our minister and the World Bank country director to allow us to do it at least in 20 states. The project design is to give money or equipment to allow them start business on different agricultural enterprises on their own."

Adewumi also noted that the federal and state governments were working on modalities to continue to create awareness and sensitisation for both farmers and the herdsmen to live in peace across the country.


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