The National Agricultural Mechanisation Cooperative of Nigeria (NAMCON), says it will empower over 15 million Nigerians on Mechanised Agro-Extension Service Scheme in 528 local government areas (LGAs) across the country.

This is contained in a statement issued by the National President of NAMCON, Dr Aliyu Waziri, on Saturday in Abuja.

Waziri said that the body has prioritised five key intervention areas including the Nigeria Mechanised Agro-Extension Service Scheme and Women Nurturing Birds for Wealth Empowerment Programme.

“Others are Nigeria Agro Market Space, Strategic Skill Acquisition Programme and Farmers House, a mass housing project for farmers in rural dwellings.

“This is a programme to assist the government to create jobs and alleviate poverty as well as help to curb food insecurity across the nation.

”We are doing this by giving a million people jobs and avenues to create jobs for themselves,” he said.

Waziri said that the project targets to empower 15 million people in Nigeria in the agriculture value chain in 528 LGAs across the country.

“The cooperative has commenced the profiling and training of about 2,300 Katsina residents, spread across the 34 LGAs of Katsina state.

“The target here is to train and empower the beneficiaries, made up of youths and women in poultry farming,” Waziri said.

He said that the society was able to inaugurate the zonal, state and local government coordinators under the National Agricultural Mechanisation Cooperative Society, NAMCS, programme for human-based wealth.

“NAMCON under the ‘Women Nurturing for Wealth Empowerment Programme’ will train 60,000 women and youths across the country with a target of producing 125 million birds per annum”.