By Dele Ogbodo
Musician and United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Goodwill Ambassador, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba,
has formally unveiled Innobia Cooperatives Organisation, an agro-allied business concern that will engage over 36,000 youths across the country.
Efe Omorogbe, Media Adviser to the award winning musician, in a statement, said the agro business headquarters will be hosted in Nigeria with branches in Israel and the United Kingdom (UK).
2Baba, was quoted in the statement from a live chat encounter with the Chief Executive of Nigerian Stock Exchange (CEO) Mr. Oscar Onyema, at the virtual ringing of the gong to close the market on Monday.
He said the initiative was born out of the desire to key into the government policy of diversification of the economy through agriculture and its ancillary businesses.
“We want to create jobs for our youths and empower our women in order to break the chain of poverty and contribute meaningfully to the economy.
“Our target is to empower a minimum of 1,000 youths in each of the 36 states and the FCT by the year 2021,” Idibia said.
He added: “On behalf of the board and management of Innobia, I seek your support and partnership in our bid to achieve the ultimate objective of addressing the issues of food sufficiency and job creation for our people.”
According to Omorogbe, the singer began the Innobia operations months ago in partnership with local and international agribusiness experts.
He said: “The pilot project to engage, train and empower 10,000 women and youths in rice and soya beans production is ongoing in Benue State.”