By Rita Iliya
The Amaiza Enterprise Company Ltd., in collaboration with key partners, has trained no fewer than 100 youths, women and agripreneurs in Niger on hydroponic farming to enhance food security, create jobs and promote sustainable agricultural practices.
The three-day training, with the theme, “Empowering Youths and Women Through Modern Agriculture,” was organised by Amaiza Enterprise Company Ltd., Nigeria Polytechnic Foundation (NIPOF), Luqknight Limited and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), in collaboration with the Niger State Agency for Green Initiatives (NG-SAGI).
Hydroponics farming is an innovative, soilless cultivation method that grows plants by suspending their roots in a water-based, nutrient-rich solution.
By eliminating soil, it uses up to 90% less water than traditional agriculture while maximizing yields in urban or limited spaces.
Speaking at the opening, on Tuesday in Minna, Mr Abubakar Isa-Mariri, the Secretary and Legal Adviser of the company, said the initiative was designed to equip participants with practical skills in modern soilless farming techniques.
Isa-Mariri said the programme underscored the organisation’s commitment to promoting innovative agricultural practices among youths and women while repositioning agriculture as a viable source of livelihood.
Also speaking, Dr Babangida Albaba of NIPOF described agriculture as a sector with enormous untapped potential and urged participants to maximise the opportunity to acquire practical knowledge in hydroponic farming.
He commended the organisers for their commitment to agricultural development and youth empowerment.
In her remarks, Dr Amina Usman, the Provost of Fati Lami Institute of Legal and Administrative Studies (FLAILAS), expressed delight that the institution was selected as the pilot centre for the training.
Usman said the institute would integrate lessons from the programme into its agricultural activities and disclosed plans to establish a plant nursery to strengthen practical agricultural learning.
Dr Habila Galadima, Director-General of NG-SAGI, said the training aligned with Gov. Umaru Bago’s green economy agenda and the state’s agricultural transformation drive.
Galadima said that the initiative would help address food insecurity and youth unemployment, adding that the state government had earlier trained 360 youths in hydroponic technology.
Also, Alhaji Idaho Sidi, Niger Commissioner for Agriculture, described agriculture as the most viable pathway to youth empowerment and economic growth.
Sidi, who was represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr Ahmed Matthew, said the participants would acquire practical knowledge capable of making them self-reliant, stressing that dependence on white-collar jobs alone was no longer sustainable.
Earlier, Dr Aisha Adamu the Managing Director of Amaiza Enterprise Company Ltd., said the programme was aimed at unlocking the potential of smart agriculture among youths and women in the state.
According to her, hydroponic farming offers practical solutions to land scarcity, unemployment and farmer-herder conflicts while supporting sustainable food production.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that participants are receiving practical training on hydroponic system installation, seedling production, nursery management, nutrient application, water conservation techniques, sustainable farming practices and agribusiness development. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Chinyere Nwachukwu/Isaac Ukpoju