Dry season farming: Kwara senator recommends youth, women empowerment

Member of Parliament representing Kwara Center in the National Assembly, Saliu Mustapha, has inaugurated a multimillion naira capacity building and empowerment workshop focusing on the dry season farming and horticulture value chain for youths and women in his constituency.

The training, which commenced on Thursday at the Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority in Ilorin Basin, was conducted by the National Institute of Horticultural Research (NIHORT) at Gemstone Integrated Farm Nigeria Ltd. It is carried out in cooperation with.

Speaking at the programme, the senator represented by his legislative aide, Tunde Abdulkadir, explained that the participants selected from the four local governments of Kwara Central would be equipped not only with technical skills in dry season farming but also with practical knowledge on agriculture. horticultural value chain.

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He assured participants that beyond the training, they will be equipped with the tools and resources necessary to put their new skills into practice.

While expressing optimism that the training would empower beneficiaries to become self-sufficient and contribute meaningfully to Kwara’s agricultural economy, Mustapha encouraged participants to take the training seriously as it would improve farming practices and improve livelihoods.

NIHORT representative Joel Akindele Akinfasoye described the program as a rare opportunity and stated that the training will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars for each beneficiary.

Joel praised Senator Saliu Mustapha for always prioritizing the empowerment of his constituents and warned him not to abandon the good work he did before taking office.

The NIHORT representative encouraged participants to value education and make best use of the knowledge gained.

Abdulrasaq Fatimah, one of the beneficiaries from Asa local government area, lauded Mustapha’s efforts to promote local agriculture and increase economic empowerment in the community.

He claims that the skills and resources he will acquire during this training will enable him to become self-employed and create new sources of income.

Another participant from Ilorin South, Aduagaba Faruq Olaitan, said he gained insight into best practices for dry season farming, effective horticulture techniques and strategies to maximize yields and profitability.