AEA Commences Commercial Fish Farming

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA) has embarked on commercial fish farming in Guito, Bwari Area Council under its One Village One Product (OVOP) initiative.

The Managing Director of the agency, Muhammed Tukur Arabi announced at the recent Nationwide Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Clinic held in Abuja that the initiative though a pilot project, has built capacities of fish farmers in the local community. Arabi said that in addition to the fish farm in Guito, AEA has also successfully completed a 12 tonne Cassava centre in Chikuku, in Kwali Council Area.

He said the agency has created capacities for 310 farmers and 248 direct jobs, in addition to the provision of outreach services to 1086 individuals with advisory services, capacity building and other business development services.
He stressed that AEA recorded another milestone in youth development having successfully concluded the 3rd Abuja Business Plan Competition (APBC), Youth ICT Training Programme, Youth Entrepreneurs Programme (YEP) and the FCT Skills Acquisition training programme among others.

He said that through the support for ABPC, the FCT Administration built the capacity of 1200 youths and advanced credit facility of N20 million and grants worth N6.7m to the top 21 performers in the competition.

Arabi added that last year, 200 FCT indigenes were trained on business management and vocation skills. He said that the participants from the scheme have trained 120 people living with disabilities to start their own businesses.
He said AEA entered into partnership with UK Department for International Development (DFID) and Korean International Corporation Agency (KOICA) towards facilitating of technical supports to strengthen its capacities and deliver its mandate.

Over 7,000 participants and 1,000 exhibitors attended the MSMEs Clinic organised by the Office of the Vice-President to support production of Made-in-Nigeria goods by local entrepreneurs.