The Africa Development Bank, (AfDB), has announced plans to commence a youth empowerment programme in the 36 states of the federation.
The programme is to gulp 300 million dollars and would be implemented in collaboration with the 36 states.
Country Director of the bank in Nigeria, Dr. Ousmane Dore disclosed this on Friday in Zaria, Kaduna state, at the launch of the bank’s 2016 Annual Economic Outlook, (AEO).
Ousmane said the project was targeted at the graduates who would be trained in agriculture business and other relevant skills that will make them self-reliant.
He explained that at the end of the training the graduates would be assisted with funds to start their agriculture businesses.
“We will incubate them into existing farms and agriculture business and once they go through that incubation period , we will then propose and give them the funds.
“That has been the missing link, how do you train them and send them out without funds , you need to give them money so that they can set up the farm” Ousmane said.
He said already the AEO has 100 million dollar project in Kaduna state in collaboration with the Islamic development Bank and the CBN to deliver the water project, adding the bank hopes to assist the current administration in its reform programmes.
“This is a state that we believe can show good example in the federation because of the effort put in place for Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and one of the states that
have introduced Treasury Single Account (TSA) and with a lot of reforms ongoing, we believe a lot of reforms are ongoing in the public finance side.
“We want to start with states that are ready and we believe Kaduna state has all the requisite to be among the first states to benefit from this 300 million dollars programme.
“The project is in partnership with the state and federal government and their counterparts is to provide land , so they get the funding and the land and they are ready to go. I can assure you that what I have seen in Kaduna is the best practices that other states can emulate” Ousmane said.