By Our Correspondent
National News – Ondo State Government trains and empowers 90 youths and women in modern poultry farming under the Adiye Irorun Programme, a key agribusiness initiative aimed at job creation, poverty reduction, and youth empowerment across Nigeria’s South-West region.
The programme, championed by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, was coordinated through the Ondo State Agribusiness Empowerment Centre led by Rotimi Wemimo Akinsola.
It operates across the three senatorial districts of Ondo State, ensuring inclusive access for beneficiaries in rural and urban communities.
Participants undergo a structured six-week training cycle covering poultry production, farm management, and business skills.
The government provides chicks, feed, medication, and technical support throughout the training period.
According to officials, the initiative works through a sustainable model where birds are raised, sold at the end of each cycle, production costs are recovered, and profits are shared among participants.
In the first cycle, 50 beneficiaries received about N8.5 million, while in the second cycle, 40 participants are set to share over N15 million upon completion.
Training centres include Isuada ABC Farm in Ondo North, Ore centre in Ondo South, while Ondo Central is preparing to commence its first cycle.
The programme answers key questions of who, what, when, where, why, and how by targeting unemployed youths and women, providing practical skills, and ensuring financial empowerment through agribusiness.
Officials say the initiative strengthens food production, reduces unemployment, and supports sustainable economic growth in the state.
Weeks of mentorship and hands-on exposure have also enabled participants to gain entrepreneurial confidence and establish small-scale poultry ventures beyond the programme further boosting local food supply chains and rural income generation across Ondo State.
This initiative aligns with the state’s broader economic diversification strategy, focusing on agribusiness as a pathway to sustainable employment and food security in Nigeria.
Beneficiaries are encouraged to reinvest profits into scaling their farms and training others within their communities.
Officials described the programme as a model for youth empowerment and agricultural transformation.
