THE Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) Ilorin has launched a decisive bid not only to tackle hunger in Nigeria but to use agriculture as a major weapon for youth employment in the country.

  ARMTI while hosting the former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo during its annual lecture few weeks ago in Ilorin had through its Executive Director, Samuel Afolayan, boasted of the pedigree of the centre to turn around agriculture in the country but lamented the poor patronage by relevant bodies in Nigeria.

  Obasanjo, who was the guest lecturer at the event, had disclosed the critical role of agriculture in nation building, especially where arable land is available and there is no dearth of needed personnel and technological breakthrough. Obasanjo had at the summit described Nigeria as precariously sitting on a keg of gun powder, citing the alarming spread of youth unemployment in the country.

  Perhaps, the expressed apprehension by the ex-President has acted as a catalyst to spur the management and staff of the institute into action to have organized training for agriculture graduates in entrepreneurial skills. That would in turn enable them to take up careers in agricultural enterprises and create wealth for themselves while in turn creating job opportunities for others.

  Already, the programme this year has drawn interests from many graduates of agriculture across the nation. Applications from interested and suitably qualified candidates have been asked for and the response has been growing. Fifty candidates would be selected for the programme. In addition, financial institutions have been invited and brought on board to give the necessary financial support and funding for the candidates, at the end of their training to embark on agricultural enterprise.

  According to Afolayan, "It would be recalled that the Nigerian agricultural sector suffered a major set-back as a result of the mismanagement of the oil boom of the 1970s.  One of the major steps taken by the government to put agriculture back on track was the establishment of Agricultural Development Projects (ADPs) across the nation.  The need to develop human resources to manage same led to the establishment of ARMTI in 1980. 

 "The Institute became a parastatal of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources and Rural Development with the promulgation of Decree No. 37 of December 31, 1984, now Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute Act Cap II Vol.I Laws of the Federation of Nigeria."

 He said the vision of the institute among others; include the need to make it a World-class Management Development Institute facilitating the development and application of best management practices for the agricultural and rural sector, just as he declared that the mission of the Institute was one fashioned to improve management practice in the Agricultural and Rural Sector through appropriate management interventions.

  Speaking on the training scheme for the agricultural graduates the ARMTI boss said, "one of the challenges facing Nigeria economy is high rate of unemployment; especially graduate unemployment. Thousands of youths graduate yearly from higher institutions out of which very few are gainfully employed. 

"Some of these youths have Degrees and Higher National Diplomas in agriculture. If these graduates and diploma holders in agriculture receive training in entrepreneurial skills they will be able to take up careers in agricultural enterprises thereby reducing graduate unemployment in Nigeria and ushering in the several other resultant benefits. In addition, after the youths might have received necessary training in entrepreneurial training, funds will be secured through loans to transform training received into practice.

  "The scheme will provide necessary entrepreneurial skills for the selected agricultural graduates and make arrangement with selected financial institutions to provide loans for the trained agricultural graduates to practice agricultural enterprises. It is hoped that in subsequent years, such a programme will efficiently show and sell the practice of agriculture as a business; as a veritable and lucrative option to be embraced by all," he said.

  The Director of the training Mr. Anthony Njoku added his voice, "the broad overall objective of this endeavour is to conduct agricultural business entrepreneurship training for agricultural graduates in collaboration with financial institutions to support youths in the agricultural sector to create wealth."     

  On the expected time frame for the programme, Mr Njoku said, "this is expected to be completed within the time frame of seven months. This period will give enough time to prepare for the training, conduct the training and facilitate arrangement with financial institutions that will finance the enterprises of the trained graduates."

 Guidelines for monitoring the trained agricultural graduates, to ensure sustainability of the scheme have been devised. This, Njoku believes would be the hallmark of the programme.