Obiano Salutes His Fisheries Adviser , Emeka Iloghalu for Creating Hundreds of Jobs, as 105 Fishery Entreprenuers Empowered at Adazi-Nnukwu

Teemartins aquaculture group, has graduated the first phase of the National fisheries value chain entrepreneurship and industrial skills development training graduates ,reports www.odogwublog.com.

Teemartins did not only graduate the fish entrepreneurs , the group went ahead to empower them and even gave the best candidate automatic employment in the company.

This is the first such programme is happening in Nigeria and the ceremony which took place at Teemartins Value Chain Centre of specialization, Adazi Nnukwu in Anaocha Local Goveernment Area of Anambnra State, have in attendance the Anambra State governor, Chief Willie Obiano represented by his Deputy Dr Nkem Okeke, the Local Government Chairman, Hon. Ike Obi Ejiofor, councillors, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Anambra State chapter led by their Acting State Chairman, Dr. Alex Ebogha among other stakeholders.

Teemartins Aquaculture group is driven by the passion to achieve a sustainable aquaculture value chain and innovation platforms in African sub region starting with the South East Nigeria and by extension, Nigeria.

In his speech, the CEO of Teemartins Aquaculture group, Mr. Emeka Martins Iloghalu said the group has invested private resources in extensive research and development of technologies in the fishery sector, including products, processes and projects.

“We have invented a commercial novel fish grow-out production model that makes it possible for a table fish producer to produce a specified quantity of table fish up to 52 to 365 times in a year as against once to thrice that is prevalent in Nigeria presently...”

This invention, according to him, will automatically create and sustain the fingerlings production business and also sales and marketing end of the output, hence securing the future plans and suitability of the business.
Iloghalu, who is also the Special Assistant to Governor Willie Obiano on Fisheries further explained that training was not part of the core business of  his organization but ventured into it to bridge the gaps in technology and entrepreneurship, which he said, led them into extension services.

“We ventured into several trainings and extension services in order to disseminate the improved technologies and business models and practices that ensures stability and sustainability of fingerlings supply and uptake of grown out fishes” he said.
He however beckoned on interested individuals, philanthropists, politicians and government at all levels to indicate interest in charting a new course in training more fish farmers and entrepreneurs in the State.

Governor Obiano who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Nkem Okeke shortly after inspecting some facilities in Teemartins Value Chain Centre of Specialization expressed satisfaction on the facilities and said that Teemartins group has cued completely in into President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s transformation agenda and most importantly into Gov. Obiano’s four wheels of development, which has agriculture as priority.

He pointed out that since Mr. Emeka Iloghalu was appointed SA to the Governor on fishery, that his innovations and expertise has been yielding positive result.

“Teemartins is really performing in the value chain innovative. This is the kind of skills our youths can engage in. This organization is really performing dual functions of youth employment and agricultural development. We need to build our people by increasing food production in the State. His Excellency will love to continue partnering with you and anybody who is willing to do this kind of thing” he said

Some of the trainees, Akunne Chika Anthony, Chiamaka Okor, Itayi Hillary Oluchukwu and Mercy Livinus extolled Teemartins group for the initiative and urged that it be sustained so that others can as well be trained on how to become self employed.

They disclosed that they are now proficient in some segments of fish production especially how to produce fingerlings, smoking and packaging of table fish among others but disclosed that they will be constrained by fund to take off as fish entrepreneurs and therefore pleaded with the state government and spirited individuals to come to their aid as CEO of Teemartins could not empower all of them.

Anaocha Local government area chairman, Hon Ike  Obi Ejiofor charged their graduands to take the knowledge they have acquired in the centrre seriously as fish production, according to him is now a viable businesses for economic growth and development. He also enjoined them to form clusters and cooperatives in order to get government largess and attract loan facilities from the bank of industry.

The Bank of Industry representative assured that the bank is out to support genuine entrepreneurs to stand.