In a significant development for youth empowerment and agricultural innovation in Bayelsa State, about seventy-seven young Bayelsans have completed a twelve-week intensive training program in hydroponics, a method of growing plants without soil.
The training, facilitated by the Bayelsa State Ministry of Youth Development under a joint project themed Enterprise for Youth in Agriculture (EYIA), organised by Master Card Foundation in collaboration with Ogun State-based Soilless Farm Lab, aimed to equip these youths with modern farming techniques and, generally, to develop human capital.
According to the Commissioner for Youth Development, Hon. Alfred Kemepado Nimizigha, the goal was to provide training that addresses key questions in relevant areas, adding that the state government aims to design programs that lead to active engagement and practical solutions to food security challenges.
He said, "Training such as this is geared towards addressing the issue of food security when adequately done the way it is done and by God's grace when properly established is arguably an end-to-end. By that, I mean training for employment almost immediately because these are hands-on skills to produce what we have a market for in terms of what they are trained for, specifically in the area of vegetables."
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