The Agricultural Media Resources and Extension Centre (AMREC) of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, (FUNAAB) has extended skill acquisition to farm families and out of school youths in Alagbede community and its environs in Odeda Local Government area of Ogun state.
The training workshop, under the programme tagged: “Gender Issues and Youth Development” (GIYD) was targeted towards empowering primary school students and the general populace of the community.
Delivering his welcome address at the training, the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Kolawole Salako, represented by the Director, AMREC, Prof. Olalekan Olaoye stated that the programme was organised to empower youths and farm families of the community.
He stressed that the farm families had been noted to have potentials that are necessary for national development because of their major role in food production and processing, saying that their potentials could be improved if the economic/financial constraints associated with their household livelihood activities are addressed.
The Vice-Chancellor affirmed that involvement in various skill acquisitions especially during off-season can reduce the poverty level in agrarian communities. He observed that the acquisition of various skills in form of vocations such as knitting (production of sweater, children stocking, cap), liquid and bar soap production, soymilk, zobo and kunnu drink production as well as coconut oil production by an individual could lead to increase in household income and self-reliance.
He further said constraints facing farmers could be reduced through informal education which involves equipping individuals with entrepreneurial knowledge and skills that will make them contribute meaningfully towards self-improvement as well as ensuring the development of their particular households and the entire nation in general.
The Vice-Chancellor noted that to reduce hunger and poverty among farm-families and guarantee higher income and better living (livelihood) conditions for the poor farmers, who practice small-scale agriculture, such capacity building workshops are essential to them.
He further stated that Gender Issues and Youth Development Programme (GIYD) recognises the fact that today’s young children and youths are the leaders of tomorrow regardless of their socio-economic backgrounds and educational levels.
Meanwhile, Dr. Olubukola Idowu and Dr. Oluwatosin Adeyeye conducted training on introduction to Chemicals and Production Procedure. Participants including pupils of Odeda Primary School, Alagbede also benefited in how to make liquid soap.
Appreciating the University, a representative of the farmers, Mrs. Hannah Adejola commended the University Management and AMREC for giving them such a great opportunity. She added that the training workshop gave them ideas on how to kill fish but not giving them fish. At the end of the training, liquid soap produced was distributed to the participants.
