Women and young people in Taraba State have been empowered through an agricultural innovation clinic organised by the Federal Government and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) under the Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP).
The capacity-building exercise, held in Jalingo on Wednesday, was carried out in partnership with the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN).
Declaring the programme open, the VCDP State Programme Coordinator, Mr Irmiya Musa, said the training was designed to boost agribusiness development and enhance economic growth in the state. He encouraged participants to focus on building skills that would enable them to scale their businesses beyond subsistence levels.
Mr Musa also assured participants of the state’s commitment to ensuring the effectiveness of the programme.
In his remarks, SMEDAN’s State Director, Mr Bala Yusuf, explained that innovation clinics provide essential business support by identifying enterprise challenges and offering practical solutions. He emphasised SMEDAN’s role in nurturing small and nano businesses through structured mentorship.
He advised aspiring entrepreneurs to thoroughly plan and refine their business ideas before investing in them.
The Manager of the Technology Incubation Centre in Jalingo, Mr Ibrahim Aminu, urged participants to utilise the centre’s services to enhance business growth and long-term sustainability.
Meanwhile, the Head of Business and Marketing at VCDP, Mr Wiza Baido, called on participants to adopt strategic business ideologies, develop clear plans and maintain proper records to track profitability.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the training attracted stakeholders across the agricultural value chain, including producers, processors and marketers.
