The Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) in conjunction with McGeorge Consulting, Ilorin has trained 40 youths in cassava value chain in Ilofa, Oke-Ero local government area of Kwara state.

Aimed at boosting food security in the week long agripreneurship training, the Executive Director of the Institute, Dr. Olufemi Oladunni said on Wednesday that the empowerment scheme was designed to educate the youths on cassava production and processing.

Represented by the Head of Women and Youth Division, Mrs. Abigael Eyilade explained that the participants comprised of 32 males and eight females drawn from the 10 wards of the local council.

Oladunni stressed that the Institute poised to organise capacity building programmes for youths in the society in all sectors of the national economy.

“It is our hope that at the end of this intensive training, the participants would have gathered enough experience that would be profitable in their activities and wealth generation,’’ he said.

The Lead Consultant of McGeorge Consulting, Dr Olusola Ogunjirin said that the training was prompted by the desire to equip the youth with relevant skills in agribusiness development and management.

While describing the training as a platform to empower restive youths as well as reduce unemployment the country, he added that the skills were needed to develop and transform agriculture in the country.

The traditional ruler of Ilofa, Oba Samuel Dada urged the participants to take advantage of the training in order to become self-reliant.

The Chairman of Oke-Ero Local Government Council, Mr Joseph Oni commended the organisers of the training for their foresight.

Courses learned at the training include Concepts of Agricultural Commodity and Value Chain Development in Nigeria; Agripreneurship Skills Development; Agricultural Land Development for Increased Yield; Gender Mainstreaming in Cassava Value Chain Development and Cassava Production Techniques to obtain High and Sustainable Yield.