As part of efforts to boost food security and tackle unemployment, the Shield Africa Sustainability and Development Initiative has graduated beneficiaries of the 2025/2026 cohort of the Shield Africa Farmers’ Academy (SAFA) in Benue State after an intensive six-month free training programme on fish production and management practices.
The programme, implemented in collaboration with the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University of Agriculture, Makurdi, targeted youths and women from Oju Local Government Area of the state.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony, the President of Shield Africa, Mrs. Osenaga Orokpo, described the initiative as part of ongoing efforts to promote sustainable agriculture, empower vulnerable groups and stimulate rural economic development.
She said Shield Africa Farmers’ Academy, one of the organisation’s flagship programmes, was designed to equip participants with practical agricultural knowledge, entrepreneurial skills and access to opportunities that would enable them establish viable agribusiness enterprises across different agricultural value chains.
Represented by the Head of Operations of Shield Africa, Mr. Prince Umobuarie, Mrs. Orokpo urged the participants to regard themselves as emerging agripreneurs and agents of change capable of contributing meaningfully to national development.
She charged them to deploy the skills and resources acquired during the training to create sustainable businesses, generate employment opportunities and improve livelihoods within their communities.
“The future of food security depends on how well the present generation is equipped to produce, innovate, and lead within the agricultural sector.
“By integrating capacity building with access to agricultural inputs, production support and market linkages, Shield Africa is addressing the systemic barriers that have historically limited youth participation in agriculture,” Orokpo added.
During the six-month training, participants underwent intensive practical sessions on fish production techniques, farm management, water quality management and agribusiness development.
To ensure immediate take-off of the beneficiaries’ enterprises, the organisation also provided empowerment packages, including start-up capital and fingerlings for the establishment of fish farms.
The items were presented to the beneficiaries by Head of the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) of the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Dr. Augustine Adaikwu
Some of the beneficiaries, Edigbo Peret and Odigiri Victor, who expressed appreciation to the President of Shield Africa, Mrs. Orokpo, and the organisation’s board, described the programme as transformative and life-changing.
They pledged to make effective use of the knowledge and support received to build successful fish farming enterprises and contribute to efforts aimed at strengthening food production and economic growth in the country.
Stakeholders at the event noted that initiatives such as the Shield Africa Farmers’ Academy remain critical to addressing unemployment, promoting self-reliance and enhancing agricultural productivity, particularly among rural populations.