As part of its impactive economic growth policy, the Kwara State Government is to generate 20,000 agro-related jobs annually aimed at eradicating poverty and creating wealth, especially among youths.
The Kwara State Governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed said this when participants of course 38 of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, Plateau State on local study tour of Kwara State paid a courtesy call on him at the Government House, Ilorin.
Dr Ahmed stated that the state government has identified agriculture as one of the keys of economic prosperity as it could improve the lives of the people tangibly.
According to the governor, about 50,000 Small Medium Enterprises have been empowered, adding that another N2billion would be injected into the scheme in the next three years with priority on youths and women beneficiaries.
“Our determination is to generate a successor-generation of commercial farmers driven by an entrepreneurial mindset for job and wealth creation”, the governor explained.
Dr Ahmed expressed concern that challenge of poverty has remained a dominant issue in Nigeria as the 2015 Human Development Index ranked Nigeria “152 out of 188 countries in 2014.
The leader of the NIPSS team, Brigadier General Daniel Chinoko said the team which is Group 6 of the course are in the state to under study the state governments poverty reduction programmes and policies.
Brigadier General Chinoko who said the theme of course 38 is “strengthening institutional mechanism for poverty reduction and inclusive governance”, promised that the team’s report would be unbiased.