Nigeria: NDE Gets Poultry Project, Funds to Tackle Unemployment

Source from:  Daily Trust 03/07/2012

Lagos - The British American Tobacco Foundation (BATNF) has built and handed over a Poultry Enterprise Development Project to the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) for management and sustainability. The directorate also got N3 million from the foundation for the effective management of the project to ensure its sustainability. Located at Imafon community in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, the poultry has the production capacity of 3 poultry pens equipped with generators, deep well, storage tank and other facilities needed for the operation of a successful poultry business. At the hand-over ceremony, the Executive Director, BATN Foundation, Mr. Gbenga Ibikunle said that the donation was a demonstration of how public private partnership can be engendered to promote socio economic development through empowerment of youths and young adults. He explained that the objective of BATN Foundation was to partner with NDE in empowering graduates of the Rural Agricultural Development Training Scheme (RADTS) of the NDE. According to him, within the last one year, BATN Foundation and NDE enrolled 20 graduates of the NDE training scheme in practical poultry production and marketing. The Director-General, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Mallam Abubakar Mohammed who was represented by Chief Kunle Obayan, said that the NDE has over the years been battling to solve the unabated youth unemployment challenge through various intervention strategies which include; Skill Acquisition Training, Enterprise Creation and Transient job Placement. Mohammed said that limited funds have made NDE to seek collaboration from Government and Non-Governmental Organizations. "The laudable gesture of BATN Foundation to empower our unemployed youths in Ondo State is highly appreciated and equally a welcome development worthy of emulation" he said. Executive Governor of Ondo State, Gov. Segun Mimiko, represented by Commissioner of Agriculture, Ondo State, Engr. Adebola Oluwafemi said that the initiative by BATN Foundation as well as the amount donated to NDE would advance the fight against unemployment amongst the youth in Ondo State. Enditem