WATEA: agriculture in the spotlight in Kano State, in partnership with France
The WATEA team was honoured to be warmly welcomed by the Deputy Governor of Kano State, His Excellency Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo.
WATEA, or “Women in Agricultural Technical Education and Apprenticeship in Nigeria”, is a project that aims to help young women acquire the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in agriculture.
Its objective is to provide higher-level vocational training in agriculture and agro-industry through modern programmes developed jointly with Nigerian technical institutions. This project will benefit more than 3,000 young people, 80% of whom will be women.
This project includes a mobility programme that allows beneficiaries to travel to France for skills improvement and experience sharing. WATEA also promotes and encourages links between private sector companies and technical education institutions to ensure the employability of their students.
WATEA, is funded by the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs through the French Embassy in Nigeria. From a global perspective, the project also benefits from the support and partnership of the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, as well as French ATVET schools and institutions.
Operations are conducted in the South-West of Oyo State, North-Central Kwara State, South-East Anambra and Enugu States, as well as in the North of Kano and Jigawa States where WATEA’s team was warmly welcomed.
The Deputy Governor’s recognition of the crucial role that WATEA plays in improving technical education in agriculture is truly a major asset to the success of the project. H. E. assured the WATEA team of his government’s unwavering support to ensure the sustainability of the program. Its support highlights the importance of protecting and promoting apprenticeship status for youth, ensuring they acquire skills necessary to their passion for agriculture.
We are deeply convinced of the future success of this partnership and we commit together, through this WATEA project to promote the agricultural sector in the state of Kano. Together we are building a future, a prosperous and sustainable future where agriculture is of critical importance.