The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has partnered Milk Value Chain Foundation to tackle youth unemployment in pastoral communities in Chikun and Kubau local government areas of Kaduna state.
The partnership, according to the Chief Executive Officer, Milk Value Chain Foundation, Dr. Ishaq Bello, was to implement the enhancement of youth employment project in a bid to address youth unemployment particularly in the pastoral communities of Chikun and Kubau local governments areas of Kaduna state.
Speaking at the workshop organised by the Foundation to sensitise the pubic on the project in Kaduna, Dr. Ishaq Bello, said: “the objectives of the Swiss Cooperation and ECOWAS funded project are youth employment, increased milk supply and improvement in livelihoods of producers to be achieved through improving dairy production and feed enterprises.
“The beneficiaries are Luumo Kosam and Damau Grazing Village Milk Producer Cooperatives in Chikun and Kubau Local Governments of Kaduna state respectively.
“The Project which has Confederation of Traditional Stock Breeders Organisations, National Commission for Nomadic Education, and Zaidi Farms Limited as local implementing partners, involves training of farmers on all aspects of dairy; linkages; provision of boreholes and in-calf heifers; supplementary feeding; veterinary services; pasture production and conservation and fodder marketing amongst others,” Bello said.
The Foundation’s boss added that: “Male youth will be trained as fodder entrepreneurs and assets such as pasture and supplementary feed will be provided for them for take-off. While female youth will be provided with improved cows that have high milk yield and will also be trained and linked to service providers.”
