Zamfara State has trained 5,000 women and youths in modern fish farming under Governor Bello Matawalle’s Youths Farmers Empowerment Scheme.
The latest set of trainees was given fish farming equipment worth millions of Naira in Gusau on Sunday.
The training was organised and sponsored by the Commissioner for Finance, Sufiyanu Yuguda.
The Head of Service, Kabiru-Muhammad Gayari, who represented the governor at the distribution of equipment, urged the trainees to use the training given to them judiciously.
He said the training was one government’s numerous empowerment schemes designed to eradicate unemployment and idleness among youths and to reduce their over-dependence on the government.
“It is our hope that the participants will use both skills and equipment given to them to become self-reliant and establish their own businesses,’’ Gayari said.
The Emir of Gusau, Alhaji Ibrahim Bello, who was present at the occasion, commended the finance commissioner for sponsoring the programme.
He urged other political office holders to emulate Yuguda to reduce unemployment and poverty in the state.
Special Adviser to Governor Matawalle on political matters, Ibrahim Ma’aji, who represented the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman in Zamfara, Alhaji Tukur Danfulani described Gov. Matawalle’s administration as youths and women-oriented.
He said the APC is proud of the government in the state considering various development programmes initiated for the masses.
Earlier, Yuguda said he dedicated the project to Matawalle.
“This is one of the laudable blueprints of Matawalle-led administration in the state to help to promote income-generation by the poor and the vulnerable.
“We will continue to do more to ensure that the dividends of democracy got to the common man.
“After this training, there will be a follow-up to access the sustainability of the project for us to register another set of the beneficiaries,’’ Yuguda said.
Aliyu Umar and Umaima Ibrahim who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries commended Governor Matawalle and Yuguda for giving them the opportunity to improve on their lives.
