Over two hundred youths are being trained in Anambra State across various Agricultural areas under the Renewed Hope Initiative, RHI Agricultural Programme of the Wife of the President of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
The training, scheduled to be held from February 20th to 21st, 2025, saw farmers drawn from all 21 Local Government Areas of the state undergo agricultural training in irrigation, greenhouse farming, fish farming, piggery, vegetable farming, feed production, and poultry, among other areas.
Speaking during the programme’s flag-off at the Anambra State Polytechnic in Mgbakwu, Awka, Nigeria’s first lady, Senator Tinubu, said the programme is her pet project. She said it furthered her commitment to supporting farmers to strengthen the agriculture sector and contribute to the attainment of food security in the country.
Tinubu, who spoke through the Wife of Anambra State Governor, Mrs Nonye Soludo, noted that it is only through massive investment in Agriculture that the country can overcome the potential threat of food scarcity facing the globe.
She said, “If we all embrace agriculture, especially backyard farming, we will be able to feed our families and address issues like food scarcity.
“Learning the techniques of farming like you are being taught in this training will help our farmers make bountiful harvest and improve self-reliance through investments in the agricultural value chain.
“By embracing agriculture, we will also reduce dependency on food imports, empower rural communities, and ensure sustainable growth in Anambra.
“I urge participants to pay 100 percent attention, take the training seriously and train other farmers in your various communities.”
She promised that the farmers would be empowered at the end of the training to expand their agricultural ventures while contributing to local and national food production.
Earlier in her remarks, Dr Njideka Chiekezie, the Acting Rector of Anambra State Polytechnic, expressed her gratitude to the government for selecting the institution as a fitting venue for the training of farmers.
She also appreciated Soludo’s Healthy Living Initiative to promote sustainable agricultural practices, enhance food security, and encourage organic farming.
Some of the trainees, Sir Obiorah Anowia and Imabong Udeze expressed appreciation to the Federal Government for the initiative, which they said will equip them with the required knowledge to operate the farms in line with developing trends in their various areas.
They said they are poised to use the knowledge gathered to boost their practice and increase production, which they said will lead to an abundance of food in the country.
They said, “This training was an eye-opener because many of the things we were doing in the farms have been overtaken by research outcomes.
“It also exposed us to answers to the problems we have been facing all these while in the farms. We are leaving here better informed on how to handle these issues when they arise and prevent them from occurring again.”
For their part, other trainees, including Kenechukwu Egwuatu from Anambra West and Chinwe Okonkwo from Awka South, called for constant monitoring and supervision of their activities to ensure adequate technical support. They also called for support in terms of logistics and finance to enable them to advance their activities.
