The Fadama III AF Project has disbursed over N94 million to no less than 258 unemployed graduates, under its Graduate Unemployed Youth/Women Scheme project (Fadama GUYS) in Ondo State.

Project Engineer and Desk officer for the GUYS project, Mr. Adebayo Ogidan, disclosed this during the visitation to the farms of some of the beneficiaries in Akure.

While speaking on the project, he said the beneficiaries cut across the 18 Local Government Areas in the state and Fadama was competent to attain the feat because the state government paid the counterpart funds for Fadama lll AF project.

Ogidan revealed, “In Ondo State, we trained about 300 unemployed graduates out of which 258 finally benefited under the programme and N94 million was disbursed to them. So, we have been on it since 2017. Luckily, in 2019, the funds were released from the National Fadama lll AF project office, Abuja, to their various bank accounts.

“Since about three months ago, they have received their money and started implementing their projects. Today, we went out to visit some of their projects and we are happy because they are doing fine and some of them have started harvesting their produce.

“From their testimonies, you could see they are happy and they appreciate what the government has done for them by removing them from the unemployment market as they are sure of some income now,” he added.

Obanaye Kazeem, a fish farmer in Oyemekun, Akure appreciated the Ondo state government and the Fadama III and also mentioned that he had harvested his fish a week ago.

“I was given N408,000 to establish fish farming and in my first crop, I got over N100,000 as profit. So I am planning to expand my farm with the money I got from the sales,” he said.

Leader of 20 Fadama GUYS in Iju/Itaogbolu in Akure North Local Government, David Robinson said both maize and cassava were cultivated on 30 hectares of land and each of them got N336, 726.

“We have 20 GUYS as a cluster and it has been a great success. We are expecting about 900 tonnes yield of maize and cassava at the end of our harvest. We do really appreciate Federal Government and Ondo State Government for giving us this opportunity, we say a very big thank you,” he added.

SOURCE: AGRONIGERIA