OGUN-OSHUN RBDA EMPOWERS YOUTH AND WOMEN IN AGRO-MINI LIVESTOCK RABBITRY PRODUCTION
The Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority has trained and empowered twenty-five youth and women in Agro-Mini livestock rabbitry production business.
Some of the participants and their agro-mini business empowerment tools.
The empowerment training programme which is 7th in the series of various empowerment training organized by the Authority was held at the Authority's Headquarters, Alabata Road on Tuesday, 16th January 2024.
The Managing Director/ CEO, Otunba Olufemi Odumosu, FNIWE, FNAHS while addressing the participants and the audience said the empowerment programme was in line with the vision of the Federal Government on food security and job creation of the 8-points Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR.
The MD/CEO, Otunba Olufemi Odumosu awarding one of the participants upon completion of training.
He said the training was conceptualized by the need to encourage more youth and women to participate in the agricultural value chain in order to reduce unemployment and poverty in the country and also serve as an avenue to groom the youth to become job creator rather than job seekers.
Odumosu said that agriculture can be used as an effective tool by all levels of Government to fight poverty and combat unemployment by making it more attractive to the young people.
The Managing Director/CEO said that each participant after the training would be given seed capital, rabbit cage with five different species of rabbit and 25kg bag of rabbit feed to start their agro-mini business.
The MD/CEO presenting the agro-mini business empowerment tools to a participant.
Earlier, the Deputy Director, Agric overseeing the Agriculture Services Directorate, Mr. Noah Alamu while delivering the welcome remarks said the programme was focused on training and empowering women in rabbit production which would provide the participants the opportunity to have additional source of income apart from their major area of specialization.
He said that agro-mini livestock production is also one of the major determinants of economic progress and this explains the reason it is necessary to expose the participants to the opportunities the programme unveils.
Alamu used the opportunity to thank the Federal Government and organizer of the programme for conceiving the idea of youth and women empowerment programme as part of the Authority's budgetary appropriation to improve the living standards of the people within the catchment area.
Training lectures on rabbit production, benefits, species, site selection, housing, stocking, feeds & feeding, production, disease management and processing was delivered by Prof. Joseph Omole and Dr. Yemi Popoola both from the Institute of Animal Research and Training, Moor Plantation, Obafemi Awolowo University.
Training lecture ongoing by one of the speakers
Highlights of the event was the handing over of certificates, seed capital, rabbits and cages to the participants.
