OBANLIKU COUNCIL, CYGNUS ALLIANCES PARTNER TO ROLL OUT SCHOOL-BASED AQUACULTURE AND AGRICULTURAL EMPOWERMENT PROJECT
✓ Pilot Scheme Targets Godbey and Cornerstone Secondary Schools as LGA Launches First-of-Its-Kind Skills Initiative
By CANL MEDIA.
SANKWALA — The Obanliku Local Government Council has entered into a strategic public–private partnership with Cygnus Alliances Nigeria Limited (CANL) to launch an ambitious School-Based Aquaculture, Hatchery and Agricultural Empowerment Programme aimed at strengthening youth skills, food security and community development across the LGA.
The initiative, announced through the Office of the Supervisor for Agriculture and Natural Resources, will be formally sealed on Thursday, 11 December 2025, during an MOU signing ceremony at the Obanliku Local Government Secretariat, Sankwala.
Described as a landmark intervention for basic and secondary education within the LGA, the scheme seeks to equip students with practical knowledge in fish farming, hatchery management, sustainable agriculture and enterprise development, marking the Council’s first structured attempt to integrate agricultural innovation directly into the school environment.
The pilot phase, tagged the Cygnus Alliances Nigeria Limited Alpha Project, will commence with Godbey Secondary School and Cornerstone Secondary School, with a scale-up plan to include more institutions as the programme gains traction.
Speaking ahead of the signing, the Supervisor for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hon. Gabriel Ugbo, hailed the partnership as
“a transformational investment in the youth of Obanliku, one that combines classroom learning with real-life enterprise development, preparing students to become future agripreneurs and contributors to local economic growth.”
Under the programme, participating schools will benefit from the construction of functional fishponds and hatchery units, alongside structured training modules covering aquaculture systems, water-quality assessment, breeding, feeding and maggot production. Students will also undergo business and entrepreneurship development sessions designed to build confidence and stimulate community-level agricultural enterprises.
Chief Executive Officer of Cygnus Alliances Nigeria Limited, Prince Isaac Achu, reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to delivering sustainable models of community empowerment that position schools as hubs of innovation and economic inclusion.
“At Cygnus Alliances, we believe in building scalable development frameworks that directly benefit young people and strengthen local economies,” Achu stated. “Our collaboration with Obanliku LGA represents a forward-thinking step towards securing a productive future for the next generation.”
The initiative is fully aligned with Nigeria’s national goals under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda, as well as current food security priorities aimed at empowering youth with employable skills and practical exposure to value-chain opportunities.