Sasakawa Africa Association, says it will assist some ex-students of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin, with N500,000 to boost their agro-businesses.

Prof. Oladele Idowu, the Regional Coordinator of Sasakawa Africa Initiative, an agriculture support programme, stated this on Tuesday, during an interview with newsmen at the university.

Idowu, a professor of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, University of Ilorin, explained that the support was aimed at encouraging young persons with requisite skills to embrace agro-ventures that would boost food security.

He said: “Sasakawa is geared towards getting the right technologies into the hands of Africa’s rural smallholders and teaching them how to use these technologies.

“The key to the solution was to establish an effective extension system to efficiently deliver improved technologies to farmers.”

Also speaking, Dr Lateef Adefalu, acting head of the department, who disclosed that the university won an award at the just concluded 35th anniversary of the Sasakawa Africa Association in Abuja, explained that the programme was aimed at building the capacity of agriculture graduates.

According to Adefalu, the programme is designed to expand the graduates’ existing businesses by training and funding them.

Dr Ajoke Kayode, Kwara Coordinator of Sasakawa Support Programme, noted added that the programme had impacted positively on businesses of the selected beneficiaries of the programme.

“The programme is set aside for midcareer people who already have a Diploma or HND, and need a B.Sc. to improve their careers.

“Students are absorbed into the department from 300 level depending on the qualifications they have attained.

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“The programme is extended to youths who are below 35 years, and the Sasakawa programme deems it fit to look into their business and give them financial, technical and moral support.

“`It will also help them grow their existing businesses such as poultry, fishery, livestock processing and production,’’ Kayode explained.

She lauded the university management for the MoU with Sasakawa for the development of Agriculture students, and also for creating an enabling environment for the success of the programme.