One year after 300 Taraba youths participated in an Agricultural Skills Development Programme organized by the state ministry of agriculture and food security, beneficiaries have expressed concern over the non-payment of promised allowances and the delay in the distribution of startup support packages.

The participants were selected in June 2025 and taken to Lafia, Nasarawa state, for a 14 day training programme designed to equip young people with practical agricultural skills and enhance their participation in the sector.

According to some of the trainees who spoke with The Guardian, ministry officials informed them before departing Jalingo that participants would receive a daily allowance of N50,000, startup kits, startup capital, and that the top 50 trainees would be sponsored to India for advanced training in seed technology.

However, the trainees alleged that each participant received only a one time payment of N50,000 during the training and that no further allowances have been paid since then.

They further claimed that the startup kits and startup capital promised at the commencement of the programme have yet to be provided, despite the training ending about a year ago.

The beneficiaries also expressed disappointment over the proposed India training programme, alleging that none of the 300 participants was eventually selected. According to them, individuals who did not take part in the Lafia training were chosen for the overseas programme.

The affected youths said they have repeatedly sought clarification from the authorities but have yet to receive a satisfactory explanation regarding the status of the outstanding commitments.

They called on the state ministry of agriculture and food Security and the Commissioner for Agriculture to address their concerns, explain the delays, and clarify the selection process for the India training programme.

Ministry Reacts

Responding to the allegations, the ministry, through its spokesperson, Kwarve Eric, urged the public to adopt a balanced view of the matter and defended the ministry’s handling of the programme.

According to the spokesperson, the ministry, under the leadership of Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Professor Nicholas Oliver Namessan, successfully organized and funded the training of 300 young Tarabans in Lafia, providing participants with valuable agricultural knowledge and practical skills.

He described the programme as evidence of the state government’s commitment to youth empowerment and agricultural development under the administration of governor Agbu Kefas.

While acknowledging concerns over allowances, startup kits, startup capital and the proposed India training, the ministry stated that government programmes often involve multiple stages of approval, budgeting, procurement and coordination with development partners, which can result in implementation delays.

The spokesperson maintained that delays should not automatically be interpreted as abandonment of commitments or evidence of wrongdoing.

“The ministry has never denied the existence of the programme, nor has it withdrawn its commitment to supporting participants,” he said, adding that administrative and financial processes sometimes take longer than anticipated, particularly amid budgetary constraints and changing government priorities.

On the controversy surrounding the India training programme, the ministry explained that selection criteria and sponsorship arrangements evolved based on the availability of qualified candidates, technical requirements and agreements with partner institutions.

The ministry also rejected suggestions that programme participants were deliberately sidelined, stressing that implementation challenges should be understood within the context of institutional processes.

According to the ministry, the interests of the trainees would be better served through dialogue, accountability and cooperation.

The spokesperson reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to Governor Agbu Kefas’ agricultural transformation agenda, youth empowerment and the development of Taraba State, noting that the concerns raised by participants were legitimate and deserved attention.

He called on the public to allow the ministry the opportunity to provide a comprehensive update on the status of the programme and the steps being taken to address any outstanding obligations. (Guardian)