Give priority to Agriculture, youths tell Yobe gov-elect

 Some young farmers in Damaturu have appealed to the Governor-elect, MaiMala Buni to map out strategies for mass youth participation of many of them in the next cropping season.   Ali Modu, spokesman of the group, made the appeal in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu on Friday.   He said […]

 Some young farmers in Damaturu have appealed to the Governor-elect, MaiMala Buni to map out strategies for mass youth participation of many of them in the next cropping season.

 

Ali Modu, spokesman of the group, made the appeal in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu on Friday.

 

He said many youths were willing to go into agriculture to find means of livelihood rather than waiting for the scarce white -collar jobs.

 

“As the transition programme commences, the incoming government should give priority attention to agricultural production, especially irrigation farming. There are a lot of graduates of various tertiary institutions most of who are willing to go into farming but need support and incentives to encourage them.”

 

“Government should support us with improved seeds, fertilizer, herbicides and pesticides to go into medium and large scale farming,” Ali said.

 

According to him, many youths were also attracted to the Farmer Anchor Borrowers’ scheme, proposed by the governor-elect during his electioneering campaign.

 

“The governor-elect has pledged to explore agricultural potential of the state and replicate the anchor borrowers’ scheme in the state, we have trust in him to make it successful.”

 

Ali said Yobe had vast irrigation potential like the Nguru, Gashua and Geidam wetlands, Ngeji plains, the Gadaka/Ngojin wetlands among others, which he noted had not been fully utilised.

 

“These wetlands have the capacity to produce the food need of the state and export for increased revenue base.” (NAN)