No fewer than 100 unemployed youths from Ndokwa West Local Government Area have benefited from a one-week training and empowerment programme on mushroom and ginger value chain.
The programme, which was organised by member representing Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency, Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai, is in collaboration with the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT).
The programme, according to its organisers, is in its third cycle for the 2019 session, has trained and empowered about 2,000 unemployed youths.
During the training, the participants were taken through practical step-by-step procedures in production techniques, value addition, record keeping and economics of production and marketing.
In an address at the occassion, Executive Director/CEO National Horticultural Research Institute, Dr. Abayomi Olaniyan said the institute has the mandate to research into genetic improvement, production, processing, utilisation and marketing of fruits, vegetables, ornamental plants and spices.
Dr Olaniyan represented by Dr. Stephen.O. Afolayan said mushroom and ginger are mandate crops of the institute, stressing that the crops have immense potential for sustainable livelihoods and national economic development.
Olaniyan assured the participants of the readiness of the institute to make available its expertise and liaising with relevant stakeholders to promote their businesses.
According to him, mushroom is an important food item that plays significant role in human health, nutrition and diseases control, adding that it is a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals.
He said mushroom cultivation can help reduce vulnerability to poverty and strengthens livelihoods through the generation of fast-yielding and nutritious source of food.
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Olaniyan maintained that mushroom cultivation provides opportunities for improving the sustainability of small farming systems through the recycling of organic matter.
He said Nigerian ginger varieties are acclaimed to be of superior quality and outstanding flavour preferred in the international market.
He noted that ginger-based products have a wide range of applications in many industries such as food processing, pharmaceutical, soft drinks, meat canning and confectionery and so on.
A media aide to the lawmaker, Chibuzor Okereke praised the vision of Ossai for his investments in human capital development.
His words: “The visionary leadership of Hon. Nicholas Ossai, who believes that the sum total of his political involvement is bringing representation home to the people. He believes in human capital development. He believes that if you are involved in government, you must bring happiness to the people.”
Okereke further said the emphasis on agriculture was informed by the need to diversify the economy.
According to him, the training programme targets30 per cent success rate, adding that a technical team has been set up to monitor activities of beneficiaries.
He said: “Most of the trainees have formed co-operatives and have returned the seed capital they received. From our records, many trainees have become employers of labour. We have constituted a technical team at the constituency office to monitor activities of beneficiaries. We are projecting about 30 per cent success rate in terms of those who, after participating, started up in business.”
A participant, Miss Busat Ayuba, 23, said the programme will help to empower the youth, stressing that farming is no longer for peasant farmers due to modern farming techniques.
She said: “I hope to set up a business in mushroom and ginger production to enhance my income as a student and hopefully start a business in a few years’ time”.
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