The Executive Vice chairman and chief Executive of NASENI Engr.prof. Sani Haruna first from right and Honourable Attorney general of the Federation and Minister of Justice Dr Abubakar Malami SAN, second from right and The executive Governor of Kebbi State Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu third from right at the handing over of seed planting machine and other modern mechanized equipment to the trainees at Azbir hotel the training venue in birnin kebbi, kebbi state.

Six Geo-Political Zones of the country to receive training in modern Farming Through Deployment of NASENI Technologies.

The implementation of President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) to introduce modern techniques into Farming and all Agricultural practices kicked off today in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State Capital (North-West Zone).

One Hundred (100) youths from the six geo-political zone of the country each (nationwide) are to benefit from the technical interventions and empowerment programme by the Agency.

Recently, President Buhari specifically directed the Executive Vice Chairman/CE of NASENI, Engr.Prof. Mohammed Sani Haruna to empower One hundred youths or indigenes in the 36 States of the Federation, deploying some of the technologies on the shelves of the Agency while focusing specifically in the areas of modern farming, Agricultural processing, production and preservation.

At the event of the flag off of the empowerment training programme in Kebbi State, today, Prof. Haruna said the flag off ceremony was in response to the very clear directive by the President whom he disclosed was keen on economic diversification of the country in the direction of Agriculture, noting that the “exercise was a mission accomplished and a sign of the seriousness of the Administration to empower the youths and also to lift Nigeria’s Agriculture away from mere subsistence”.

The NASENI boss, in his remark said all the developed countries of the world began with Agriculture and later became great because they introduced modern techniques, science and innovations into the practice of Agriculture in their journey to industrialization.

The Chairman of the Occasion, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami said President Muhammadu Buhari was determined to tackle the high rate of youths unemployment, poverty, and especially food insecurity and also the industrial transformation of the country. The target of one hundred youths per geo-political zone of the country, he said, was essentially to take the youths off the streets, address youth restiveness and increase food security and the introduction of modern farming practices in form of quick adaptation of modern technology in order to make Agriculture very attractive to young people.

He said the Northwest geo-political zone of the country is known for farming as a general occupation and therefore the choice of introduction of modern farming in this particular training for the Youths in the North-West geo-political zone.

In line with the outcomes of the exercise, youths that were trained are to become leaders in modern farming technologies and techniques while NASENI will continue to provide technical partnership as an on-going exercise until they all become leaders, mega-farmers and holders using Modern farming methods and techniques, including mechanised farming and processing of farm produce within the Agricultural value Chain.

The focus of the programme by the Federal Government, according to Malami “is against the background that 70 percent of Nigerian youths and workforce live in the rural areas and therefore targeting them with new farm implements and techniques by NASENI was like putting a round peg in a round hole”, noting that the exercise is one of the most pragmatic programme of the Federal government aimed at the diversification of the economy and also targeting reduction of unnecessary rural urban migration”

The beneficiaries of the programme will be able to complete three (3) circles of farming rounds in a year against the traditional practice of farming only during the raining season yearly. This means increased in farm produce and yields coming from these Corps of youths.

The Governor of Kebbi State, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu at the occasion said his State was most lucky to host this flag off programme by President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration. “Being the host State for on-going Rice revolution in the country, this programme was a  clear evidence of the desire to transform the country through the use of Science, technology and Innovation”

As a governor, he added “there is no better time to focus on Agriculture than now and the only leader who could redirect the focus of the country to Agriculture is President Muhammadu Buhari”. According to Bagudu, What the Country needed now is to look inward to diversify the economy through support for Agriculture and introduction of modern scientific ways and means of infusion of technology into Agriculture and human capital development”

While commending NASENI , he said the current support for local research and technical institutions like NASENI by the Kebbi State and the Federal Government was deliberate.

The Governor challenged the trainees that they should dream to become Billionaires and millionaires from practicing modern farming and or as successful Agriculture entrepreneurs including livestock. He disclosed that a new Agricultural University had just been approved to be cited in Kebbi State by the Federal Government and also an Agricultural Machinery and Equipment Development Institute (AMEDI) under NASENI has been established in the State. This he disclosed was in addition to the NASENI SKILLS Acquisition Centre which was announced at the occasion by the Executive Vice Chairman of NASENI.

Some of the equipment and farming implements fabricated by NASENI which were handed over to the trainees included Seed Planting Machine, water Pump machine, Irrigation machine, Insecticide Spraying machine amongst others.

One of the beneficiaries of the programme and trainee, Mr.Hussein Adamu Ashiru who spoke on behalf of the rest was thankful to President Muhammadu Buhari. He commended the President for focusing on Agriculture. According to him, the youths possess not only the potential capacities to provide food to feed the country but also targeting export of their produce because the 3 circles farming being introduced by NASENI and the Federal Government will definitely increase their farm produce.