FG, Kano train 540 women in fish farming

The Federal Government is facilitating the training of 540 women, drawn from the 19 northern states on fish farming, a statement from the Kano State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources has said.

The statement was signed by the Public Relations Officer in the ministry, Mr Garba Yunusa, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday.

It said that the government was carrying out the programme in collaboration with the Kano State Government.

The statement said that the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hajiya Baraka Sani, launched the programme at the Kano Institute of Fisheries, Bagauda.

In the statement, Sani said the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, visited the institute and promised to collaborate with the Kano Government on the training of youths from other states at the institute.

Sani further explained that the Federal Government was already sponsoring 140 women from other 19 northern states while the state government sponsored 400 women from within the state.

Each of the trainees, the Commissioner said, would be given a take-off package that would include juvenile fish, fish feed and drugs as well as other incentives.

Sani added that more collaboration was under way, to train youths on poultry and livestock, revealing that the Kwankwaso administration had established six capacity building agricultural institutes that trained youths in different agricultural businesses.

The Director, Gender, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Hajiya Karimatu Babangida, commended Kano State Government for its youth empowerment programmes.

She noted that Nigeria was spending N90 billion on fish importation annually to meet the three-million-tonne requirement, while only 700 tonnes was being produced in the country.

The director, therefore, enjoined the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the opportunity, in order to reduce the import level.

The coordinator of the institute, Prof. Armaya'u Bichi, in his speech at the occasion, noted the institute has all the necessary teaching and learning facilities.

Bichi said that, so far, the institute had trained and empowered 800 youths and women. NAN