The Bauchi State Government is partnering International Skill Acquisition Centre (ISAC), Nigeria to train 1,000 unemployed youth on Agricultural production across the state.
Gov. Bala Mohammed disclosed this during the presentation of the ISAC framework by Dr John Opara, the Team Lead, on Friday in Bauchi.
Mohammed said that the state government had concluded plans to partner ISAC on training of the unemployed youth across the 20 local government areas of the state.
He said that the training of the unemployed youths would provide employment opportunities as well as improve agricultural production in the state.
“Not only will it increase production of high yield farming inputs, it will also boost the state’s Internally Generated Revenue and export opportunities.
“The youth will become Agriculture technology compliant and increase in agricultural expertise to enable them to train others after graduation,” the governor said.
According to him, the state has vast land with yields for agricultural processing and production that will explore more business opportunities for the state and the nation.
The governor said the state government policies on agriculture were in the same direction as that of ISAC, adding that this was why the partnership would go a long way in boosting the state’s agricultural sector.
Mohammed reiterated his commitment to ending unemployment in the state through his administration’s Agro- industrialisation policy.
Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Alhaji Samaila Burga, said that 50 unemployed youth would be selected from each of the 20 LGAs in the state to make up the 1,000 youth.
He said the state government would pay N285,000 on each of the trainees for the two weeks training, after which they would be issued with certificates.
The Commissioner said that after their training, the trainees would come back to train other youth in their localities.
Earlier, the Team Lead, Opara, said that ISAC was a training facility, equipped with world-class, custom-built amenities to ensure maximum service delivery.
“We engage in full-scale training and consulting services to create the needed platforms for replication as we strongly believe that this will ensure continuity and longevity of our set objectives.
“We boast of capable hands-on professionals with vast knowledge in various fields of agriculture and related concerns to carry out these training and facilitation,” he said.
Opara said ISAC would train the youth on beans, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, beans, carrots, soya beans production and other agricultural processes that would improve the economy.
He said that Gov. Mohammed was a sure partner in Agricultural production.
“ISAC is committed to ensuring that Agriculture thrives.
“We also want to ensure that what has been achieved in the oil sector can also be replicated in the Agricultural sector,” the team lead said.