From Obinna Odogwu, Awka
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has granted the sum of $58,768 to the Fisheries and Aquaculture Value Chain Development Partnership Centre, in Anambra State for the training of 150 youths in fish production business.
Managing Director/CEO of Anambra State Fisheries and Aquaculture Business Development Agency (FABDA), Emeka Iloghalu, disclosed this at a press conference in Awka, the state capital, held to mark the commencement of the training programme.
Iloghalu, who’ is the programme coordinator, said that the youths would be trained on the Taenprowiz fish production business system which relates to inventions, innovations, improved technologies and production systems.
According to him, youths from different ethnic groups and religious affiliations living in the state who are between the ages of 15-35 years had been selected to participate in the training program.
“This table fish production business training sponsored by the ECOWAS Commission is a human capital development component of the value chain development and has been programmed to produce competent and sound youth fish entrepreneurs to contribute in actualising the already set production targets for the state and beyond.
“Anambra State has set a target to be able to produce a minimum of additional 51,000 metric tons of table fish per annum to achieve self-sufficiency.
“FABDA had adopted the designed fish production village business franchise cluster model for the purpose of growing the GDP of fish in the state as well as developing multiple youth fish entrepreneurs to enhance the Anambra economy.
“The state has already commenced pilot of the fish production business franchise cluster project with a minimum of 600 ponds in each location that are capable of yielding up to 150,000kg of table fish per month; it’s yet to start operation”, he said.
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