Nigeria plans to train ex-militants in agriculture

Nigeria has concluded plans to train over 11,000 ex-militants in agriculture as part of moves to diversify the economy, an official said Monday.

Paul Boro, Special Adviser to the President and Coordinator of the Amnesty Program (PAP), made the disclosure at the inauguration of some poultry farms in southern Rivers State.

Boro said the training for the ex-agitators would commence soon and would be concluded before the end of the year.

"The Presidential Amnesty Program which started in 2009 with 30,000 ex-agitators has become a huge success and factor in stabilizing the Niger Delta region," he added.

"Government is committed to the sustainability of the Amnesty Program by engaging the ex-agitators in agriculture, among other sectors, to enable them to be empowered," he said.

"Out of 30,000 ex-agitators captured in PAP, 18,260 have been trained in various vocational training," he said.

"About 3,568 have been trained and empowered to becoming aircraft engineers, pilots, farmers, information technology experts, while some are working in the oil and gas sector," he added.

Boro said some 500 ex-agitators had been trained in agriculture out of whom 271 had been fully empowered.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to funding of the program in spite of the current economic challenges facing the country, the adviser told his audience. Endit