CBN gov harps on youths involvement in agriculture

By Tobias Lengnan Dapam

The Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele yesterday hargped on the need for youths in the country to be involve in agriculture.
Emefiele gave this indication yesterday in Abuja, during the 3rd All Civil Society National Economic Summit.
Represented by his Special Assistant, Emmanuel Ekeje, the governor said the present administration has given youths alot of opportunities to be productive.
“Youths are very important in driving the economy of any nation. Based on this, the federal government has created alot of opportunities for youths to be trained in various programmes and empower them to be self reliant. “
On his part, the Director Development Finance Department of the CBN, Dr. M.A. Olaitan said the various Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) of the central bank are yielding results in many parts of the country.
“One of the programme which many youths are testifying is the anchor borrower programme where youths are empowered to go in to farming and the CBN will fund the entire programme and people who will buy the product.”
He said so much money has been injected in to the programme which is aimed at making the Nigerian youths to be employers of labour.
He called on civil society organisations to partner with government and ensure the advocacy for a wholistic participation in the programme.
Also speaking, the representative of the Bank of Industry (BOI), Abdulganiyu Muhammed who is the General Manager, SME, said without addressing youth, small scale enterprise will not strive.
He said owing to current unemployment rate in the country, they have trained and empowered members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), to make them productive before the end of their service year.
He added that the same gesture had been extended to higher institutions to engage many young people in the institutions.