The National Directorate of Employment (NDE) says it will soon engage 10,000 youths to nurse two million dates and palm oil tree farming in the country.

The Director-General of NDE, Dr Nasiru Argungu, disclosed this to the press in Sokoto.

Argungu said that the scheme was part of the agency’s efforts to boost employment opportunities and enhance the country’s revenue.

He said arrangements had been concluded to obtain genetically modified dates seedlings from the Centre for Arid Studies in Algeria and the seedlings would be planted in northern parts of the country.

“The genetically modified seedlings yield within nine months to one year after planting and it requires only 13 litres of water daily.

The palm oil tree seedlings will be obtained from Malaysia and will be planted at southern parts of the country,’’ Argungu said.

According to him, at least 200 seedlings will be allocated to a youth under the scheme, adding that each youth would be entitled to 20 per cent of the profit from the yield.

“NDE targeted economic trees under the scheme. Mango, Guava and others will be added under the scheme,’’ he said.