The Ebonyi Government has reiterated its commitment to revamping the education sector saying that education remained the only instrument for peace and socioeconomic development of any society.

Dr Livinus Ezeoha, Secretary, Ebonyi Universal Basic Education Board (EBSUBEB) stated this at the education stakeholders summit to mark the 2024 International Day of Education with the theme, ‘ Learning for Lasting Peace Through Community Participation.’

Ezeoha who noted that sound education would foster greater peace and development urged participants at the one day event to collaborate with the state government to achieve its goal of restoring the lost academic glory of the state.

He said that addressing the social ills plaguing the society would start with providing sound and functional education which he opined was a key policy thrust of the current administration under Gov. Francis Nwifuru.

According to him, the governor has emphasised the need to develop education stressing that a lot had gone wrong with the sector.

“Education enthrones peace in the society;education is the only trusted instrument to promote peace and well-being in the society this is because education enlightens, education creates awareness.

“This is why the governor is emphasising too much on the need for developing education ; we are all aware that a lot of things have gone wrong with the sector hence the governor is doing something positive to overhaul the system,” Ezeoha said.

He commended the Development Integrity Goal (DIG) Foundation for organising the summit and partnering the state government to ensure the revamping of the sector.

Earlier, Chief Oliver Aja, Executive Director of the foundation in a speech said that the overall goal of the education summit was to review successes and challenges facing the basic education sector.

He identified the challenges as; poor funding, inadequate qualified teachers and need to provide a well-thought-out solution as a manifesto that would include demand for sustained education budget increase, community involvement in the budget development and utilisation process.

“The outcome of this summit – manifesto and school prioritised needs will be delivered to policymakers including the executive and legislative arms of government during advocacy visits and engagement, ” Aja said.

Aja commended the participants for attending adding that it was a manifestation of their commitment to ensuring that the education sector was lifted from its present state of decay.

One of the participants, Mr Emmanuel Oghele, a teacher commended the state government and organisers of the summit for the partnership stressing that revamping the basic education sector required such healthy collaboration.

Our correspondent reports that the summit brought together members of the Civil Society Organisations, primary schools pupils drawn from selected schools across the three senatorial zones, teachers, members of the parent-teacher associations among others.

Our correspondent also reports that the programme is supported by the Youthhub Africa Palladium Accountability for Good Governance in Education (AGGE) project with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The Federal Government has expressed worry at the alarming level of poverty and food insecurity in Nigeria and has taken concrete steps towards addressing the problem.

Mr Temitope Fadeshemi, the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) stated on Wednesday in Abakaliki at a one-day training and empowerment programme of 250 benefitting farmers of Ebonyi.

The beneficiaries were verified and validated farmers from the 13 Local Government Areas of Ebonyi with specialities in poultry, rice, and fish farming.

The programme comes under the ‘National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy’ was an initiative of the federal government to address food insecurity and reduce growing poverty among the population.

The Permanent Secretary whose speech was delivered by Dr Willaim Obazi, the State Coordinator, FMAFS, Ebonyi State Office said that the training and empowerment programme was going on across the 36 States including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

He said: “Let me start by welcoming you all to this training and empowerment programme of the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy.

“It gives me immense pleasure to be in this important programme that is taking place across the 36 States, including the Federal Capital Territory.

“The level of poverty in Nigeria is alarming.  An estimated population of 88.4 million people in Nigeria is living in extreme poverty; the number of men living on less than 1.90 U.S. dollars a day in the country reached around 44.7 million, while the count was 43.7 million for women.

“Overall, 12.9 per cent of the global population in extreme poverty was found in Nigeria as of 2022 according to statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics.

” This is why the Federal government through the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning in collaboration with FMAFS is making conscious efforts at reducing the spate of poverty across the country.

“Today marks a significant milestone in expressed worry at the alarming level of poverty and food insecurity in Nigeria and has taken concrete steps towards addressing the problem.

Mr Temitope Fadeshemi, the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) stated on Wednesday in Abakaliki at a one-day training and empowerment programme of 250 benefitting farmers of Ebonyi.

The beneficiaries were verified and validated farmers from the 13 Local Government Areas of Ebonyi with specialities in poultry, rice, and fish farming.

The programme comes under the ‘National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy’ was an initiative of the federal government to address food insecurity and reduce growing poverty among the population.

The Permanent Secretary whose speech was delivered by Dr Willaim Obazi, the State Coordinator, FMAFS, Ebonyi State Office said that the training and empowerment programme was going on across the 36 States including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

He said: “Let me start by welcoming you all to this training and empowerment programme of the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy.

“It gives me immense pleasure to be in this important programme that is taking place across the 36 States, including the Federal Capital Territory.

“The level of poverty in Nigeria is alarming.  An estimated population of 88.4 million people in Nigeria is living in extreme poverty; the number of men living on less than 1.90 U.S. dollars a day in the country reached around 44.7 million, while the count was 43.7 million for women.

“Overall, 12.9 per cent of the global population in extreme poverty was found in Nigeria as of 2022 according to statistics released by the National Bureau of Statistics.

” This is why the Federal government through the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning in collaboration with FMAFS is making conscious efforts at reducing the spate of poverty across the country.

“Today marks a significant milestone in our collective commitment to uplifting the lives of our smallholder farmers and fostering sustainable agricultural practices.

” With determination, collaboration, and a shared vision, we can transform challenges into opportunities and empower our agricultural sector to lead the way towards a more resilient and prosperous Nigeria,” Fadeshemi said.

He explained that an estimated 250 smallholder farmers have been enumerated and validated to benefit from the training and empowerment programme.

“The National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy, in collaboration with the Federal Department of Agricultural Extension Service (FDAE), has diligently enumerated and validated approximately 250 farmers for participation in this transformative program.

“These farmers are not just the backbone of our agricultural sector; they are the heartbeat that forms the heartbeat of our nation’s prosperity.

” The NPRGS reflects our government’s dedication to addressing poverty at its roots, emphasising the pivotal role agriculture plays in economic growth and development.

“Through initiatives like today’s training and empowerment programme, we are sowing the seeds of positive change, ensuring that smallholder farmers have the knowledge, resources, and support needed to thrive in an ever-evolving agricultural landscape.

“This programme is not merely an investment in agriculture; it is an investment in the future of our nation.

“As we equip these farmers with the tools to enhance productivity, improve resilience, and embrace sustainable practices, we are laying the foundation for a more resilient and prosperous agriculture,” he added.

The Perm Sec. who noted that the initiative was part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Tinubu administration urged the participants not to sell any input given to them.

“To the participating farmers, your role is paramount in shaping the trajectory of our nation’s agricultural success.

“As you undergo this training and empowerment journey, absorb the knowledge, hone your skills, and apply the insights gained to elevate your farms and communities.

” Your success is intertwined with the prosperity of our nation, and together, we shall create a ripple effect that reaches every corner of our beloved country,” he said.

Our correspondent reports that beneficiaries will receive farm inputs including rice seedlings, day-old chicks, liquid fertilizers, corn seedling and fish feeds.

The Federal Government has expressed its determination to address the twin monster of hunger and poverty through the enhancement of food security.

This was disclosed by Dr William Obazi, a coordinator in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), Ebonyi Office on Wednesday in Abakaliki during the training and empowerment of 250 rural farmers from the state.

He said the programme, under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Initiative (NPRGS), was a federal government initiative designed to tackle the rising food insecurity, hunger and poverty in the country.

He said that NPRGS was aimed at assisting farmers in Ebonyi to increase their production and reduce the poverty level adding that the initiative was in line with the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of the President Bola Tinubu administration.

According to him, the programme is targeting no fewer than 250 farmers drawn from the 13 Local Government areas of Ebonyi under three agricultural value chains including rice, aquaculture and poultry.

“Food security is a key element in the present government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, so, the essence is to make Nigeria food secure because it is believed that if these poor farmers are assisted food security objectives of the government will be achieved.

“Beneficiaries will go home with rice seedlings, birds, chemicals and liquid fertiliser among other facilities and the federal government is entirely responsible for the cost,” Obazi said.

The coordinator said that under the initiative, farmers benefitting from the empowerment programme were expected to expand their productivity and widen the scope of their income to be able to cater for the family needs and this was part of the reduction of poverty.

On security of the rural farmers, Obazi said that agro-rangers had been trained and deployed to provide security to rural farmers.

Meanwhile, Mrs Amaka Uyanwa, principal agricultural office, Federal Department of Agric Extension, FMAFS said that the whole initiative was geared towards ending food insecurity by equipping rural farmers with vital inputs and strategic knowledge to enhance productivity.

She said that the training aspect of the programme was to equip beneficiaries with more knowledge to create value addition to their chosen agricultural enterprise.

“The training will enable the farmers to understand marketing strategies and other aspects of the farming business so that they don’t just believe they can only do the production aspect of farming.

“The training will teach them how to market their produce and make money and after the training, we empower them,” Uyanwa said.

She added that each beneficiary would receive an empower item based on his or her chosen enterprise.

Two of the participants/beneficiaries, Mr Micheal Esheye and Mrs Eunice Obike from Ohaukwu and Afikpo South LGAs respectively in separate interviews commended the federal government for empowering the farmers with farm inputs.

They expressed optimism that the farm inputs would help them increase their productivity as well as widen their revenue scope.

They further pledged to make good use of the farm inputs and the knowledge gained from the training to increase yield.