In its determined efforts to reduce unemployment to the barest minimum, the Akwa Ibom state government has commenced the recruitment of 1,200 youths into the 6th batch of the Integrated Farmers’ Scheme (IFS).

An advertisement signed by the commissioner for agriculture and natural resources, Obong Eno Akpan, said the exercise is for suitably qualified indigenes of the state. Akpan stated that the scheme is one of the microcredit programmes of the state government established in 1998 as a parastatal in the ministry, adding, "It is a vehicle for the recruitment, training and empowerment of youths to undertake vocations in agriculture.

The commissioner who hinted that over 2,000 indigenes have so far been empowered through the scheme maintained that successful participants would be trained for some weeks in their areas of choice and would thereafter be granted N500,000 each as refundable loan to start up any vocation.

He said intended applicants should be unemployed youths of Akwa Ibom origin, aged between 22 to 45 years with a minimum of Senior School Certificate (SSC), stressing that participants would be required to provide two guarantors, who must be employees of the state public/civil service, not below salary grade level 09. He further informed that application should be accompanied with two recent passport photographs of the applicant and photocopies of credentials including certificate of origin from his /her local government council.

He emphasized that such application should be forwarded to the scheme manager, Akwa Ibom State Integrated Farmers' Scheme, No 4, Uko Eshiet Street, Uyo, not later than May 14, 2011. Adding that selection interview would be conducted in the conference room of the Ministry of Agriculture on a date to be announced later.

The commissioner added that short-listed candidates would be expected to attend interview with original copies of their credentials while the two-month training for successful applicants would commence on a date to be announced in future. "Trainees will be provided with accommodation and meals by the state government during the training," he stressed.

Meanwhile, the Integrated Farmers Beneficiaries Network, an organization of all integrated farmers’ Scheme beneficiaries in the state has congratulated, Chief Godswill Akpabio and his deputy, Obong Nsima Ekere, on their victory at the just concluded general election. On behalf of all Integrated Farmers’ Scheme beneficiaries in the state, Mr. Udo thanked Chief Godswill Akpabio for empowering 930 Integrated Farmers’ Scheme participants in 2010 with N500,000 each and increasing the number of participants to 1,200 this year.

He also commended the efforts of the commissioner for agriculture and natural resources, Obong Eno Akpan, and the scheme manager, Rev Joseph Bassey, for the mature disbursement of funds and proper monitoring of Integrated Farmers’ Scheme programme. He acknowledged that through this programme, there was sufficient food production for the teeming population of Akwa Ibom people and reduction in youth unemployment in the state.

Mr. Udo appreciated the efforts of the beneficiaries for effectively carrying out the farming programmes as they were trained by the scheme and also standing on the declaration to vote Governor Godswill Akpabio in their respective units, so that other youths would benefit from Integrated Farmers’ Scheme programme during his second term in office and this he acknowledged has just happened. The chairman promised total support to the government by producing enough food for the teeming population of the state. The Chairman once again called on all the beneficiaries of the Integrated Farmers’ Scheme in the state to register and fill the data form which will contain all the information about their farms with their respective local government coordinators on or before May, 15, 2011 for easy identification and documentation.