Mahmoud Wants Young Female Farmers To Adopt Modern Techniques

FCT Minister of State, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, has presented laptops, cash and certificates to 26 young female fish farmers in Kano state, as part of efforts to build female entrepreneurs in the agricultural value chains.

The Minister made this known at a 5-day empowerment programme in Kano for women farmers in the North-West.

Speaking on the theme: “Sustainable Growth Through ICT Skill Development in Digital Economy”, Mahmoud affirmed that the programme was to promote education, skill acquisition,and gender empowerment .

“I see this programme as one of the outcomes of the numerous humanitarian services of promoting education, skills acquisition, women and youth empowerment through the Renewed Hope Initiative of the First Lady, Her Excellency, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu”.

“I, therefore, commend the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development for taking this bold step that will enable farmers use research data and adopt technology which is necessary to accelerate growth in the agricultural sector”.

She however, called on the Women Development Centre to raise the bar of female entrepreneurs in the country through the agricultural value chains.

In her remarks, the Director General Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, Abuja, Dr. Asabe Vilita Bashir, noted that the programme was designed to expose young women on ways information and communication technology (ICT) can help farmers and agricultural extension workers, improve in their agricultural activities and methods.

The Director General who was represented by the Assistant Director, Mr. Taslim Atoyebi, revealed that agriculture employs over 75 percent of the country’s workforce, while noting that the demand for agricultural produce keeps increasing as the population increases.

She therefore, identified information and communication technology as a vehicle that drives development in all sectors of the economy, including agriculture.

The Director General called on the participants to make maximum use of knowledge gained from the programme, stressing that the goal of the federal government to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty would be realized and farmers would be able to contribute their quota to the economic growth and development of the country.

One of the beneficiaries, Hajia Umma Aminu Waru, expressed appreciation to the federal government for the training, while promising to make good use of the skill she acquired.

By Remi Johnson, Edited By Grace Namiji