Youth Cassava Enterprise Project has been launched by Chevron Nigeria Limited through the Partnership Initiative in the Niger Delta (PIND) with 40 graduates to run the scheme in Ondo State. The project is in partnership with the state’s Wealth Creation Agency (WECA).
According to Vanguard Newspaper, the program Director of PIND, Dr. Dara Akala said the 40 selected youths to pilot the project are meant to become a new class of farmers adding that “our farmers are aging,” hence the need to replace them with professionals.
Governor Olusegun Mimiko, while launching the project, said that the commitment of his administration towards the development of agriculture to tackle youth unemployment through various agricultural initiatives has attracted the interest of many private organisations to partner with the state.
The Director, Deepwater and Production Sharing Contracts of Star Deep Water Petroleum Limited, Jeffery Ewing said the project is an economic empowerment programmer aimed at developing and encouraging young Nigerians to go into farming and make it a career and a business.
“We believe the cassava project will have a tremendous impact on the youths in Ondo state through employment creation, poverty reduction, skill acquisition and livelihood improvement.
Ewing added that it will also “support the development of rural cottage industries to ensure the growth of the local economy.”
“This will no doubt boost the government’s efforts in making agriculture a significant revenue yielding sector in the country.”