The Edo State Skills Development Agency (EdoJobs) said it has concluded a training programme for 150 farmers in the state under the Edo Food and Agricultural Cluster (EdoFAC).

The Managing Director, EdoJobs, Violet Obrokoro said the training focused on agribusiness and boosted the capacity of participants in various areas such as social media marketing, financial management, pricing and negotiation, branding and packaging, sales and marketing, and access to marketing.

She said that the training programme offered participants access to loans and grants opportunities, as well as agribusiness mentorship, to enhance their entrepreneurial journey, noting that the successful completion of the training marks an important milestone for the participants as they are now better equipped to manage and grow their businesses.

She said the EdoJobs Outgrowers Poultry programme was organised in partnership with Uwa Farms.

Obrokoro added that the beneficiaries were presented with starter packs after the successful completion of an 18-week extensive training programme in Poultry Farming in Ikpoba-okha Local Government Area in Edo State.

She said, “The beneficiaries underwent 3 cycles of training programme that perfected their knowledge and capacity to handle a farm of up to 10,000 birds. They also received a starter pack that included a minimum of 200 birds, 29 bags of feed, vaccines, and multivitamins. The gesture was aimed at creating entrepreneurs out of the youths and reducing unemployment by creating job opportunities.

“The EdoJobs Outgrowers Poultry programme provided the beneficiaries with an opportunity to extensively learn and understand the process of growing birds in 3 different cycles. They mastered how to feed, wean, and vaccinate the birds from day one, and after the completion of each cycle, the birds were sold to off-takers at 6 weeks old.”