27 June 2009
A woman of vim and vigour, Ms Temitope Ajayi, has a lot going for her. After several years of her sojourn in the United States leading thousands of Nigerians in the Diaspora, she cleverly chose to return with a wonderful initiative. Her passion, even while in US, was what she calls caring for the young-adult. It was not a surprise when she decided to introduce an agricultural empowerment programme for young farmers in her beloved country.
Tagged 'Nigeria-American Agricultural Empowerment Programme' (NAEP), the programme will train and empower participants in mechanised system of farming, free of charge, while facilities such as loan, accessibility to farm implements, housing (2-bedroom flat) provided at the farm settlement as well as other aids in the process of farming, harvesting and marketing as it is done in the United States.
At the last South-South Economic Summit, she was given the opportunity to present her programme to the government and people of the region. We gathered two states in the region are interested in her programme.
In Lagos, we heard after several consultations with the government of Lagos state, the programme has caught the attention of Gov Babatunde Fashola. That is not all. Sources reliably informed Societywatch that Union Bank and First Bank are already contending to be part of the agriculture and empowerment programme. As at press time, we heard a tripartite agreement might be endorsed later by the state government, one of the financial institutions and the initiator of the programme, Ms Temitope Ajayi.
Besides, hundreds of people who have heard about the programme have indicated interest. Right now, things are really looking up for this woman of immense pedigree, Mama Diaspora.
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