No fewer than 60 women, drawn from different communities in Ogun State, have been trained by the Agricultural Media Resources and Extension Centre (AMREC) of the University, with skills and knowledge in fish handling, processing, value addition, storage, packaging, utilisation and marketing, at its capacity building training programme, organised by the Gender Issues and Youth Development (GIYD) Programme of the Centre.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olusola Oyewole, who was represented at the occasion by Professor Dorcas Adegbite of AMREC, expressed delight in the training and opined that training of women farmers was central to enhanced productivity among the farm families. The Vice-Chancellor had implored the participants to take full advantage of the training to broaden their knowledge base, for improved agricultural productivity and healthy living. He added that the training programme was expected to assist in developing and strengthening the skills, abilities and resources that women needed to sustain themselves, given the fast changing economic conditions in Nigeria.
The Director of AMREC, Professor Victor Olowe, had said that the workshop was meant to enhance the capacity of the women in fish processing, utilisation and marketing with a view to improving the economic and nutritional status of the women. Speaking through his representative, Dr. Titilayo Irekhore, the Director reiterated the commitment of AMREC to the timely and effective delivery of extension services on proven agricultural technologies to stakeholders in agriculture.
In appreciation, the Programme Leader, Gender Issues and Youth Development, Dr. Elizabeth Oluwalana, thanked the Vice-Chancellor for his support and interest in the empowerment of women. She noted that the knowledge gained from the training, if put into use, would improve the socio-economic status of the women.
The Women Leader in the Odeda Local Government of the state, Mrs. Margaret Adegbite, appreciated AMREC on behalf of the participants, for organising the training, which she described as timely. She implored the participants to go back to their respective communities and train their fellow female farmers. She concluded that the training would go a long way in improving the economic and nutritional status of the rural women and the farm families.
The event had in attendance, the leader of Women in Agriculture Programme in Ogun State, Mrs. Florence Oyekunle and other women representatives from Agbetu, Ajaaka, Adao, Labuta, Akintobi and Ojoo communities of Ogun State.