The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) is to launch farm project of palm tree plantation in Nigeria in collaboration with Algeria.
The palm tree revolution will involve date and oil palm. This was disclosed recently in Abuja by the Director-General of the NDE, Dr. Nasiru Mohammed Ladan Argungu, while exchanging views with journalists and German expatriates on new strategies for employment creation in Abuja.
Agriculture, the same official said, is tested and reliable machinery for effective economic diversification, as prioritised in the policy thrust of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
To ensure success, NDE is to collaborate with the Centre for Scientific and Technical Research on Arid Regions (CSTRAR) in Biskra, Algeria.
The collaboration is being facilitated by the Federal Government of Nigeria through her embassy in Algiers, Algeria. In a letter signed by Minister Counselor and Head of Chancery, M.S. Nuhu, the NDE contingent is expected to visit Algiers to consummate the Collaboration and visit some poverty alleviation agencies of the country in order to exchange ideas on employment generation and poverty alleviation.
‘’All These efforts, according to the DG, will further encourage jobless youths especially university graduates to migrate and advance their status from motor cycle riders to gainful farming’’
Throwing more light on the readiness of the Directorate for the project, Dr. Ladan said that NDE has already secured vast land from some local government areas to enable the engagement of youths in modern farming.
‘’We have about 35 hectares of land in Sabuwa, Katsina state, another of such in Akunnu in Ondo state and we are asking for more from the local government council areas’’.
Nigerian Tribune.
