Research Oshodi, (FIIRO) is set to flood the market with food and other consumer products as it starts the training of youths on the technological knowledge for the production of major food products in the country.
Out of the two million youths the Institute has planned to train free annually on manufacturing of products such as instant pounded yam flour, smoked fish, cassava bread and confectionaries, laundry and detergent soaps, already over one hundred youths last week started the training at organisation’s headquarters.
At the end of the three-day training, the Institute in collaboration with the Banks of Industry and Agriculture will provide take off grants for the beneficiaries to enable them go into full production of foods thereby increasing the country’s food production and reducing the level of unemployment.
The visibly elated youths who are the first set to benefit from this initiative tagged ‘The Techno-Entrepreneurship Development Training of Youths’ were drawn from the six geopolitical zones of the country through four youth-based organisations namely: NEPAD Youth Initiative, Youth Enterprise Exhibition Group, African Youth Exhibition Group and De-Intellect links Nigeria, the convener of the annual youth leadership conference.
According to the Director General and Chief Executive Officer (DG/CEO) of FIIRO, Dr. Mrs. Glory Elemu, the Institute chose to equip the youths with the knowledge of the production of these products because of their high demand and because those are businesses that can easily be set up with minimal financial requirement.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the programme, Dr. Elemu said that the need to train the majorly unemployed youths was also necessary because of the current global high level of unemployment, adding that the training programme will also expose the participants to both the technical and management components of entrepreneurship training.
According to Dr. Elemu: “Today’s training programme was conceived by the management as our corporate social responsibility to the youths,” while emphasising that “other organisations will be charging not less than one million naira per participant for the training which FIIRO is giving out for free.”
Furthermore, she said that the Institute commenced technology transfer and techno-entrepreneurship training programmes in 1986. Since then, she noted, “over 75,000 techno-entrepreneurs have been trained directly at the Institute while over 500,000 participants were trained through the Institute’s collaboration with other government organisations such as the NYSC, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Small and Meduim Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) etcetera.”
She disclosed that many of these people have established viable enterprises making significant contribution to the national Gross Domestic Product [GDP] as well as creating millions of employment through multiplier effects.
Congratulating the participants for making the list of the first set of youths to be trained under this Initiative, the DG explained that the technology that will be passed on to them, is one that has gone through the whole processes of scientific research and which can never fail when in practical use.
Encouraging the soon-to-be manufacturers and employers of labour, the guest speaker, Dr. Mrs Yemisi Aribisala, the former Director General, Chief Executive Officer of Raw Materials Research and Development Council, said they were being given a rare opportunity to empower themselves and contribute their quota to the development of the country.
Commending the management of FIIRO for the initiative to empower the youths, she, however, stressed that there was need for FIIRO to also set up a mentorship group that will be able to follow up on the participants and mentor them at the end of the programme “as surely there will be challenges as they try to start their new businesses.”
The over 100 youths who were excited and eager to commence the training seemed to have two things in common: determination to succeed and the lack of capital to start production after the training.
Chatting with one of the youths, Comrade Jennifer Adiele, who resides in Delta State, said she would like to be perfect in baking bread and confectionaries with cassava-wheat composite flour.
On what she hopes to do with the knowledge, the lady who already has a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Computer Studies regretted she does not have the capital but was hoping to team up with two of her friends to open a bakery.
For the unemployed Mr. Desmond Orji Maduabuchi, who came all the way from Abia State, “Soap manufacturing is where the money is.”
The West African School Examination Certificate (WASCE) holder enthused that he will like to go into the manufacturing of all kinds of soap and be an employer of labour.
How does he intend to raise the capital for this noble venture? He said confidently that the money will come.
However, Amina Alli, mother of two and a Sociology final year student of the Lagos State University, said that she will rather go into the business of manufacturing instant pounded yam flour as she sees the business of soap-making as already saturated.
Asked why would she not get a regular job after graduating from the university? ”I want a flexible job so as to have time for my kids.” Speaking further, she said that one of her motivations was the success of the popular Ayoola Poundo yam flour.
“I know the beginning will not be easy but am determined to succeed,” added the 30-something year-old beautiful lady.
Eno Essien, a Lagos State Polytechnic student, said that even though she gets a regular job, she will still like to combine soap manufacturing with whatever her regular office work will be.
“The money we spend buying soap is much and at the end of the training, I will go into soap manufacturing. Though I have no capital now, I believe that at the end of the programme, we shall get financial empowerment from the federal government to take off.”
Mr. Samuel Adebayo regretted that what he was receiving as salary currently is meager, but is hopeful that after the training programme he will set up an instant pounded yam flour manufacturing business.
A graduate of Industrial Chemistry from the Federal University of Technology Akure, he noted that people were no longer interested in the traditional way of pounding yam, hence the increased demand for instant yam flour.
“There is market for yam flour in and outside the country as pounded yam meal is highly valued as a delicacy,” concluded Mr. Adebayo.
“Currently, I have a business centre in Umuahia, Abia State, but the money I am making from it is too small to cover my financial responsibilities,” lamented Mr. Enyinnaya Ezenwa.
He said he was hoping to start the production of instant yam flour from where he hopes to establish himself financially.
Bread making and confectionaries are what Mr. John Nduaguibe who resides in Aba, Abia State, said he was interested in. The Public Administration Diploma graduate of Abia State Polytechnic said he is hoping to combine bakery business with events decoration, which is currently what he is doing for a living.
However, the participants should stop worrying about the financing of their soon-to-take off consumer businesses as FIIRO is already pushing for loans and grants for them to be able to take off effectively.
How far this will go to make a significant impact in the food production in the country is left to be seen. But as the saying goes ‘every penny counts’. The Bible equally admonishes us not to despise the days of little beginnings.
