FG Promises to Reduce Poverty Level

from All Africa

This Day (Lagos)
NEWS

By Hammed Shittu
Ilorin

President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua yesterday said his administration was committed to alleviating poverty and increase household food among the poor.

Towards this end, he said government would ensure development of National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM) located in Ilorin, Kwara State.

Yar'Adua said this in Ilorin, yesterday, while declaring open one day training programme for 70 fabricators of agricultural equipments and tools from 25 states, under the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), held at NCAM premises in Ilorin.

According to him, government is committed to the growth of agriculture and would leave no stone unturned at enhancing production of farm inputs that would allow farmers to boost food production.

Yar'Adua, who was represented by Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Ms Ama Pepple, said training of the fabricators would help people at the local level to know the latest techniques in the fabrication, which would help in addressing the nation's agricultural crop production.

He said the training is also aim at increasing availability and use of low cost agricultural tools and equipment by farmers in the rural areas, adding that "the choice of NCAM for the train-the-trainer prrogramme is to allow participants to have access to available tools and boost agricultural production."

She said "the training is in line with the Federal Government's effort to alleviate poverty and increase household food security among the poorest segments of our rural populace."

He, therefore, urged the participants to see themselves as agents of change in implementing this agricultural revolution by imparting their knowledge on others.

Earlier, Director and Chief Executive Officer of NCAM, Professor Kayode Oni, thanked government for the assistance so far rendered for the centre, adding that the development has helped it to take its normal position in the field of agricultural mechanisation development in the country.