Agriculture Has Created Seven Million Jobs – FG

Over seven million jobs have been created through engagements in
the agricultural sector, particularly the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN) Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, the Minister of Information and
Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said.

He made this disclosure at the weekend in Port Harcourt at sixth
graduation ceremony of the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI),
founded by the wife of the Minister of Transportation and former
Governor of Rivers State, Mrs. Judith Amaechi.

In addition, Mohammed said the federal government has created
thousands of jobs through its various programmes across other
sectors.

‘’In agriculture, for example, this administration has created
over seven million jobs. When the administration assumed office in
May 2015, about five million farmers were engaged in rice
production. Thanks to the administration’s Anchor Borrowers
Programme, the number of farmers engaged in rice production today
stands at 12.2 million. These are verifiable facts, not fiction,’’
he said.

The minister said 69,736 direct and indirect jobs have been
created in the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.

Giving the breakdown, he said 38,391 jobs were created in the
Works sector; 29,605 in Housing, while a further 1,740 jobs were
created in the power sector.

According to Mohammed, the government National Social Investment
Programmes have created at least 200,000 jobs, in addition to
empowering 500,000 others under the Government Enterprise and
Empowerment Programme (GEEP).

He also said cooks are not left out as 61,352 cooks have been
employed under the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, through
which 6.4 million school children in 33,981 schools across 20
states are being fed with one meal a day.

He commended Mrs Amaechi for establishing the ESI programme,
which is an entrepreneurial and skills acquisition programme for
youths and women of the Niger Delta, saying such programmes
complement the federal government’s efforts to provide jobs for the
citizens.

‘’National development is not just the duty of the government,
but that of the citizens. In other words, all of us, as citizens,
have a role to play in ensuring the development of our country.
This has been amply demonstrated by Mrs. Amaechi in setting up
this

Empowerment Support Initiative,’’ he said.

He charged the graduands to make the best use of the
opportunities that the ESI programme has given them, saying that is
the best way they can justify the efforts of the ESI founder.

Over seven million jobs have been created through engagements in
the agricultural sector, particularly the Central Bank of Nigeria
(CBN) Anchor Borrowers’ Programme, the Minister of Information and
Culture, Lai Mohammed, has said.

He made this disclosure at the weekend in Port Harcourt at sixth
graduation ceremony of the Empowerment Support Initiative (ESI),
founded by the wife of the Minister of Transportation and former
Governor of Rivers State, Mrs. Judith Amaechi.

In addition, Mohammed said the federal government has created
thousands of jobs through its various programmes across other
sectors.

‘’In agriculture, for example, this administration has created
over seven million jobs. When the administration assumed office in
May 2015, about five million farmers were engaged in rice
production. Thanks to the administration’s Anchor Borrowers
Programme, the number of farmers engaged in rice production today
stands at 12.2 million. These are verifiable facts, not fiction,’’
he said.

The minister said 69,736 direct and indirect jobs have been
created in the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing.

Giving the breakdown, he said 38,391 jobs were created in the
Works sector; 29,605 in Housing, while a further 1,740 jobs were
created in the power sector.

According to Mohammed, the government National Social Investment
Programmes have created at least 200,000 jobs, in addition to
empowering 500,000 others under the Government Enterprise and
Empowerment Programme (GEEP).

He also said cooks are not left out as 61,352 cooks have been
employed under the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme, through
which 6.4 million school children in 33,981 schools across 20
states are being fed with one meal a day.

He commended Mrs Amaechi for establishing the ESI programme,
which is an entrepreneurial and skills acquisition programme for
youths and women of the Niger Delta, saying such programmes
complement the federal government’s efforts to provide jobs for the
citizens.

‘’National development is not just the duty of the government,
but that of the citizens. In other words, all of us, as citizens,
have a role to play in ensuring the development of our country.
This has been amply demonstrated by Mrs. Amaechi in setting up
this

Empowerment Support Initiative,’’ he said.

He charged the graduands to make the best use of the
opportunities that the ESI programme has given them, saying that is
the best way they can justify the efforts of the ESI founder.