By Ayoyinka Jegede
IN its unwavering commitment to join government in ensuring food security as well as creating profitable jobs for the youths in the country, the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries Worldwide, Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, has trained and empowered Bayelsa youths in agriculture.
The training, which is part of the 70 Points Youth Repositioning Agenda of Dr. Olukoya, is aimed at gainfully engaging the youths and taking them off the streets. The programme will also allow them to utilise available lands of the church for sustainable agricultural training, help members develop income through agriculture and contribute to food security
The training which started with demonstration farming includes agronomical and smart climate agricultural practices .Then followed by seminar on agro- business and agro-value chain opportunities.
According to the Mega Regional Overseer, MFM Bayelsa Mega Axis, Pastor Emmanuel Akinola, who spoke on behalf Olukoya, the free training in agriculture is part of the General Overseer’s initiatives conceived to reposition the youth and completely deliver them from the globally-prevalent vices , train them to be self- sustained and subsequently be employers of labour.
Akinola stressed that the Bayelsa State is a blessed land where farms produce yield abundantly due to texture of the soil ,hence the choice of engaging youths in agriculture. He said the trailblazing initiative would enhance the state’s food security.
The Mega Regional Overseer added that the church also recognises that agriculture remains the primary livelihood for over 70 percent of Nigeria’s population (National Bureau of Statistics, 2024), hence the implementation of the impactful programmes that align with national priorities.
The initiative is a part of broader efforts of the MFM to support the Bayelsa State government’s ASSURED transformation agenda, in which agriculture is key.
He explained that the church has involved in several impactful activities to make youths a better version of themselves and to become well-rounded personalities, whose positive impacts on various aspects of life would not only be phenomenal and global, but most importantly glorify God and identify the youths as virtuous, respectable and responsible members of the peculiar generation of godly and Christ-centred children and ambassadors.
Speaking on the training, Mr. Great Sunday, a successful farmer and the trainer, said youths were trained on entrepreneurship, agribusiness fundamentals, and the full agricultural value chain opportunities.
He adequately trained participants on vegetable farming and also conducted a startup cucumber farm business analysis, covering land clearing to post‑harvest sales.
For demonstration hand-on learning, the youths were trained practically with various crops: Cucumber, tomatoes, sweet corn, pepper and watermelon.
The practical learning training included: nursery management, transplanting,
pests and disease control, nutrient management, farm maintenance practices, which include organic farming, smart climate agricultural practices, harvesting
post-harvest, and product marketing.
On their part, the MFM Okaka Youth Pastor, Bayo Olutoye and the Assistant Farm Supervisor, Bro. James Imbazi, thanked the General Overseer for the free training, and revealed that the youths had tremendously benefited from it.
They explained that winning souls for Christ, especially capturing youths for Christ as well as channelling their part to righteousness in ensuring that they (the youths) discover their purpose and fulfil it, is of utmost importance to the General Overseer of MFM.
They described Olukoya as a man with a heart of gold and a relentless passion for the youth.
They said the Bayelsa youths are now profitably engaged with various hands-on skills, and their energy has been channelled into profitable ventures in agriculture, making of pastries, fashion designing, aquatic and poultry farming to mention a few.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke with the journalists- Sis Evelyn Anetorufa , Bro Samuel Anefiok, and Mrs. Esther, described the free training through the demonstration farming as very impactful. Beneficiaries revealed that they were now proud farmers, with their lands, with chains of supplies to attend to within and outside the state, financially independent, and can now put food on their tables.
According to Evelyn, one of the beneficiaries, ” I was once a classroom teacher in one of the private schools in the state with a little take-home before we were trained on demonstration farming, but now I’m a farmer with my farm. I plant cucumber, vegetables, to name a few. I have supplies in and outside the state, now I can tell you with all joy that I’m a farmer and happy doing it more than when I was teaching. I am now financially independent by God’s grace. “
In the same vein, the Bayelsa State Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources Professor Beke Tuboukiye Sese, commended the General Overseer, MFM Worldwide, Dr. Daniel Kolawole Olukoya, and MFM Okaka Mega Axis, for the trailblazing initiative of taking youths off the street by engaging them in agriculture/farming, and majorly keying into the ASSURED Agenda of the governor in which Agriculture is key.
The commissioner spoke when the youths in the church went on a courtesy visit to present their farm produce to the commissioner, which included different vegetables, cucumber, among others.
His words, ” Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries is a true church of God. We appreciate the General Overseer, Dr. Daniel Olukoya and MFM in Bayelsa for the noble initiative and great contribution to the vision of the state government, as well as developing and engaging our youths in peaceful activities. Thank you for taking our youths off vices and cultism. I am proud of MFM youth, especially their engagement in agriculture. We have youths on our agenda, and we are going to partner with your youths whenever we have openings for training.”
