News: FG Pledges To Create 35m Jobs By 2015 - Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS)

The Federal Government has again vowed to create 3.5million jobs by improving the agricultural value chains of production, processing and marketing by 2015.

President Goodluck Jonathan said this in Uyo at the opening of the first international conference on oil palm production in the country which had the theme; Oil Palm and its Derivatives; A panacea for African Economic Growth and Sustenance.

The President, who was represented by the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Samuel Ortom, said that government was poised to unlock the enormous potentials of agriculture. He also expressed governments determination to add 20 million metric tonnes of food to the domestic supply by 2015.

"We have identified oil palm as one of the important commodities and key drivers to promote the value chain initiative. We have also intensified efforts to provide enabling environment" he explained.

President Jonathan lamented the disappointing fall of Nigeria's palm produce in the last five decades, stating that between 1961 and 1965, Nigeria was the world largest producer and marketer of palm produce, contributing 39 percent of the world average production.

"It is an irony that we allowed this position to slip out of our hands" he regretted.

"Nevertheless, this administration is resolved to return the nation to the former glorious level of performance.

He noted that a major breakthrough towards the attainment of the objective was the launching of Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS) which will produce all necessary farming tools and inputs to farmers directly.

Source: Hallmark