By Michael Nnebife
In line with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s agenda for youth development, the Anambra State Fisheries and Aquaculture Business Development Agency, in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has begun preparations to train no fewer than 150 youths in the state again on table fish production for economic empowerment.
The Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the Agency, Mr Emeka Iloghalu, disclosed this in Awka while featuring as a guest in a media programme recently.
Mr Iloghalu stated that 150 youths trained from September 2023 to March 2024 were selected from across the states of Nigeria with the majority of them being the citizens of Anambra State and one, a foreigner.
According to him, the 150 youths were also given fishery business knowledge and principles to enable them to become not just fish farmers, but also managers of their products with business mindset for innovation and creativity.
He further stated that the youths had been grouped into six business cooperative societies to enable them to work as teams with business plans.
Iloghalu, who said the programme was a process, pointed out that the trained youths had also been attached to big fish farmers for mentorship and more practical knowledge.
He expressed satisfaction with the level of youth participation in Agriculture in Anambra State and advised youths to keep up the tempo, stressing that the Agriculture sector had a lot of money-making opportunities.
He argued that youth active participation in the sector would energize the nation’s ailing economy.
