FG Launches Graduate Farmer Scheme in Kogi

FG Launches Graduate Farmer Scheme in Kogi

The federal government has launched a graduate farmer scheme in Kogi and some other states of the federation.

Minister for Water resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, made the disclosure about the launch on Saturday during a courtesy visit to the Kogi state governor, Mr Yahaya Bello.

The Guardian reports that the minister stressed the importance of the graduate farmer scheme to the country and emphasised its potential for job and wealth creation.

Adamu stated that the launch of the scheme was in keeping faith with the campaign promises of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to create jobs and diversify the economy.

The graduate farmer scheme is to be subsequently launched across all the River Basins in the country, and will engage 50 graduates in each batch, according to the minister.

Adamu indicated that the historical importance of Kogi state as well as the confluence of rivers Niger and Benue in the state capital, Lokoja, has made the state strategic to the economic diversification drive of the present administration.

The minister noted that aside the graduate farmer scheme, the water resources ministry has also taken steps to revive the River Basin.

One of such steps, according to the minister, is the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Songhai farms based in Benin Republic for cross fertilisation of ideas on river basin operations.