The Ondo State Government on Saturday declared that all was set to empower over 1000 women and youths with agricultural training, financial support, and farm equipment towards ensuring food security in the state.
Seun Osamaye, special adviser to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Women Affairs, who disclosed this while speaking with journalists in Akure, said that the empowerment would enhance financial independence and help farmers unlock their full potential in agriculture to effectively play their pivotal role in Ondo’s economic diversification.
“In tandem with the desire of the Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa to reach out to all women in the state, by empowering them, and for them to be self-reliance, we have been assigned here at the Ministry of Women Affairs to ensure that all his plans for women gets actualised.
“The significant of investing in programmes that promote food security in the country cannot be over emphasized. And it is in line with all of these that the committee have decided to meet, so that we can fast-track some of these plans. The Renewed Hope Initiative; agricultural support programme in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, by the wife of the President, Oluremi Tinubu, aimed at boosting food sustainability in the state in order to encourage youths in agriculture and women called; ‘Women Agricultural Support Programme’ (WASP) and we are flagging it off on Monday.
“We have 200 women in agriculture in Ondo State, they would be trained on planting processes, and they would be provided with funds as cash support in order to boost their agricultural projects in the state so that there would be food security.
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“We also have young farmers club, that we are flagging off on Tuesday, we will be going to four different schools across the three senatorial districts of Ondo State, two primary and two secondary, where our resource persons from the state ministry of agriculture would be training these students and pupils on how to become members of the young farmers club.
“Also on Monday, we will kick start “Our Ease Agenda”, for women in Ondo State with a workshop for elected and appointed female officials in the state and the theme is; “Unity of Purpose, a partway to successfully delivery.” We understand that our governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa has an agenda for our women and we need to help him to ensure successfully delivery of dividends of democracy to our women.
“We will be coming together to deliberate on how to move the state forward and whatever this government is doing we want it to get to the grassroots.
“Also on Monday we will be flagging off our skill-up initiative programme, we want all women to come to the centre for the training free of charge, the government is organizing this in order to encourage our women to go into businesses.
“Also, the International Women’s Day is coming on Saturday, March 8 and it’s going to be a big event because this would be the first starting event of Mr. Governor and he has said that he is going to empower 1000 women on that day with cash grants of N35,000 each, tagged; ‘Odatiwa Women Money.’ All Ondo State women groups would be represented.”
Osamaye, therefore, urged beneficiaries of the programme to embrace best agriculture practices, thereby contributing to a sustainable agricultural system that fosters value addition and long-term food security in the state.
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