The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has finalised plans to introduce a new employment creation scheme, known as the Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme (SADTS), to train 600 graduates.
Mr Edumund Onwuliri, Deputy Director Information and Public Relations of NDE, disclosed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
Onwuliri said the scheme would be tested in nineteen states of the federation and the FCT to enhance food production, employment and wealth creation.
According to him, the Sustainable Agriculture Development Training Scheme is an Agricultural production and distribution system.
“It seeks to provide more profitable farm income, promote environmental stewardship and enhance quality of life for families and communities through farms.
He said the new scheme would involve three approaches which include the field training, trainee farmer’s mentorship and linkages, and Identification of off-takers.
He said the states that would benefit from the first phase of the training are: Abia, Anambra Bauchi, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Gombe, Jigawa.
Others are: Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara, Niger, Ondo, Osun, Plateau, Taraba and the FCT
According to him, the training would involve 30 unemployed graduates and school leavers from each of the benefitting states totaling 600.
He said the official flag-off of the training scheme would be performed in Katsina state next week.