The Nigerian Stored Products Research Institute (NSPRI) has set aside N6 million to empower corps members in value addition and post-harvest agricultural training to boost food production in the country.
The Executive Director of the institute, Dr Patricia Pessu, said this during a capacity building programme for corps members at the institute’s multipurpose hall in Yaba, Lagos on Monday.
Pessu said the training was the seventh in the series of capacity building for corps members, which had previously taken place in four other states before now.
“The value addition post-harvest training has moved from Kwara to Oyo state, then to Delta and Rivers states, before the turn of Lagos state presently.
“Like many African countries, youth employment is a critical policy issue that directly affects national food security and in Nigeria today, about 40 per cent of youths are unemployed.
“In the first quarter of 2021, a report published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on its website, noted that Nigeria’s unemployment rate has risen from 27.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2020 to 33 per cent,” she said.
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According to her, Nigeria is expected to be the world’s third most populous country by 2050 with over 300 million people, according to the United Nations.
“The present development demands youth engagement in agribusiness, as it is being practiced in some developing countries as a critical asset to achieving sustainable food security,” Pessu said.
The executive director said NSPRI was the only research institute saddled with the sole mandate to research into post-harvest management of agricultural crops, produced and consumed in the country.
She said the major institute’s functions were to reduce post-harvest losses, maintain the quality and ensure food safety and security.
Pessu said that the main objective of the programme was to encourage self-reliance, self-employment and ensure productivity for youths.
“I sincerely hope that this training will translate into better post-harvest practices among the corps members and thereby create employment opportunities after their service year,” she said.
