By Gertrude Onyekachukwu-Uteh
The insinuations in some quarters in the state that beneficiaries of the Delta State Job and Wealth Creation Bureau, are not in the public domain have been defeated as those trained in Youth Agricultural Entrepreneurs Programme (YAGEP), Graduates Employment Enhancement Programme (GEEP) among other empowerment programmes have started rolling out their success stories.
Aniuchi Ifeanyi Ernest is one of the GEEP beneficiaries with IMC Oil Palm Plantations, Nsukwa, from Ndokwa east local government area and he is an Agricultural Economics graduate from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
He also has a National Diploma Certificate in Agricultural Technology from the then Delta State College of Agriculture, Ozoro.
Ifeanyi is currently the Out-grower Manager in the company. He has gained experience over the years through trainings and practical supervision of IMC plantation.
He is a seasoned oil palm farmer, oil farm plantation consultant and manager, married and is concluding a masters degree programme in International Agribusiness and Food Chain Management in Lead City University, Ibadan. He shares his success story:
“In 2016, it was announced that all Deltans who studied Agriculture should submit their details to the newly created Job Creation Bureau.
I took advantage of the opportunity and was later invited for an interview in an oil palm estate where I was trained in the oil palm plantation business and employed to work as a Plantation Development Supervisor in IMC Oil Palm Plantations Limited.
“My experience in the oil palm plantation business has been memorable. At first, I was completely naive in that enterprise of agriculture.
“After a month with the oil palm company, I was trained by different international experts in oil palm namely Solidaridad West Africa and Ghana Sumatra all from Ghana, and also had series of internal training by expatriates in the company.
“Thereafter, my interest in the industry was aroused and I started developing myself on the job. I learned Best Management Practices (BMP) in oil palm production and management. These include modern technologies in planting of oil palm, harvesting, pruning, circle weeding, slashing, types of chemical herbicides and fungicides, three R’s of fertilizer application (right time, right place, right quantity and right type of fertilizer).
“I learned about general field management such as how to manage the field workers, right time and seasons to carry out some particular operations in the field.
“I also learnt how to make presentations such as daily, weekly, monthly and annual reports, effective use of computer and Excel sheets for reporting.
“Others are training on bee-keeping for pollination and the use of the E-prod software for out-grower farmer’s data entries.
“Indeed, it has been an inexhaustible list experience in the business of oil palm plantation and management.
“Two years later, I was promoted to management position in April, 2019 where I was saddled with the responsibility of an Out-grower Manager.
According to him, out-grower is an integral department of the company where we reach out to all small holder oil palm farmers as off-taker of their produce by providing ready market for them.
“We also provide the farmers with quality Tenera seedlings, technical advice and other inputs just to help the farmers grow in their oil palm business.
“This responsibility as the Outgrower Manager is quite challenging, but at the same time it has also given me a lifetime experience in agricultural extension service delivery and general management.
“Talking about the benefits and impact of GEEP, it is a life changing programme. My life has changed because I am now a successful consultant in the field of oil palm business.
“I have been able to register my consultancy business name with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and I comfortably run my consultancy firm side by side without any conflict of interest with my company.
“I have also acquired a large expanse of land which I am developing into an oil palm plantation. I am confident that I have built a lasting career in the industry.
“In 2018, I got married to my beautiful wife. I want to conclude by saying that there is no better profession than agriculture”, pleading with the Smart Governor to expand the scope of GEEP by enrolling more Deltans into the programme.
It would be recall that Chiweike Nwankwo, from Oshimili north local government area, who obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Technical and Vocational Education from the Delta State University, Abraka, got enrolled into the Skills Training and Entrepreneurship Programme (YAGEP), in the 2015/2016 Cycle, the pioneer set and was trained in Fish Production.
Six years after establishment, he has distinguished himself by growing his enterprise beyond expectation as the CEO of Chiwinkx Farms, Asaba; the Head of Trainers, Chiwinkxfarms Beyond Fish Academy; the Guest Speaker, United Nations Migration Project 2021; a Guest Panellist, Niger Delta Beyond Oil Summit and the State Consultant, NIRSAL Strategic Business Support Services Project 2021 and an employer.
