Twenty-three youths from the host communities of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, have been trained in hands-on skills in cultivating tomato and peppers for value addition through processing.

The university organised the training in collaboration with the Science and Technical Committee of the Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology and the Hope for Farmers Women and Girls Initiative.

Tagged Cohort 1.0 Youth Empowerment Programme, the training aims to promote agricultural innovation, enhance youth self-reliance, and strengthen the country’s food and nutritional security.

Declaring it open, the vice chancellor of the university, Maduebibisi Iwe, noted that it reflects the university’s strong commitment to community development, food security, and youth empowerment.

Represented by the deputy vice chancellor (Academic), Nneoma Obasi, he maintained that training focusing on the entire cultivation process from nursery to harvesting had multiple benefits.

“Besides farm-based instruction, participants receive laboratory training on processing techniques to extract and produce tomato-based products such as juice, puree, ketchup, drinks, and tomato powder.

‎“We are empowering them to make good use of their time and become useful to themselves and their communities. This training can spark something in them that will inspire future entrepreneurship,” she emphasised.”

‎Earlier, the Director of the Centre for Gender, Youth and Child Development, Mabel Onwuka, described the training project as a long-term empowerment to give back to society while promoting agricultural innovation.

‎The professor of Soil Science’s words, “We are here to empower the youths, starting from our university host community. We are doing it in phases, and the essence is to give back to society,” she noted.

‎The supervisor of the university’s Greenhouse Project on Tomatoes and Peppers Production said the youths will be equipped with starter kits comprising seeds, manure, and other necessary materials.

‎”Beyond food production, the initiative seeks to foster peace and stability within local communities by meaningfully engaging youths in productive ventures, thereby reducing restiveness and unemployment

‎Onwuka, who trained the youths from Cultivation to harvesting stages of the items, encouraged them to maintain close contact with the university for continuous mentorship and support.

‎“The university doors are open. The trainees are free to come in for further clarifications and free consultations as they implement what they have learned,” the director added.

‎She lauded Kasie Okagbu of the Department of Food Science and Technology for showcasing various local food products, such as monkey kola, and demonstrated juice extraction from an indigenous crop.

‎Another staff member, Chibueze Onyejuruwa, appreciated the university for the training and described it as fulfilling their long-held aspirations.

‎He said that with this knowledge, the youths can plant tomatoes and peppers in bags, venture into other agri businesses to create wealth, and achieve economic stability.

The highlight of the training was the distribution of starter kits, which comprise seeds, fungicides, nursery trays, and organic and inorganic fertilisers, among others.