Group awards corps members N3.5m grant

THE Nigerian Stored Product Research Institute (NSPRI), has awarded two corps members N3.5m grants as start-up capital for agribusiness.

The corps members were awarded the grant at the institute’s zonal office, Onireke, Ibadan, on Tuesday, during a three-day training programme on value addition of agricultural commodities for 50  corps members.

Presenting the grants to the recipients, executive director of the institute, Patricia Pessu, commended the two outstanding corps members for their resilience and innovative proposal on tomato and breadfruit value chain.

Mrs Pessu urged participants at the training to tap into the project to be self-sufficient after the service year.

The executive director noted that upon completion of the participants’ service year, the training would have equipped them not only in the knowledge of post-harvest handling and value addition to agricultural commodities but also the requisite skills to transport ideas into sustainable agro-businesses.

In a remark, NYSC Oyo State Coordinator, Grace Ogbuegebe, represented by Mrs Adiza Bello noted that skill and entrepreneurial development cannot be overemphasised in tackling youth  unemployment.

Contributing, Zonal Coordinator, NISPRI, Ibadan, Mrs Grace Otitodun maintained that the institute had the technology for post-harvest management of agricultural crops in the country.

Appreciating NISPRI for the grants, the recipients, Anuoluwapo Akinboye, who received the sum of N 2,000,000.00 grant and Celine Alozu, who received N1,500,000.00, said the funds would propel them in achieving their goal in life.