Job creation through agriculture, selective approval for maize import

I humbly write to draw the President’s urgent attention to the rather unfortunate news that the government has granted approval for some selected companies to import maize into the country due to the following reason: It is even more disheartening, demoralising, disturbing and demeaning considering that as an individual and young farmer I have made concerted […]

I humbly write to draw the President’s urgent attention to the rather unfortunate news that the government has granted approval for some selected companies to import maize into the country due to the following reason:

It is even more disheartening, demoralising, disturbing and demeaning considering that as an individual and young farmer I have made concerted efforts to mobilise fellow young Nigerians under the auspices of the Nigeria Young Farmers Network to ramp up local production in response to the anticipated shortfall.

As a maize farmer and a young Nigerian committed to playing my part through the organised private sector and non-governmental organisation (Nigeria Young Farmers Network and Guard Nigeria Image and Values Initiative) to ensure rapid economic recovery and job creation by mobilising young people (mostly unemployed) to participate in our already developed nationwide program tagged; “Raise a million farmers”, I find this development very worrisome.

As the National Coordinator of Nigeria Young Farmers Network  with over a million members nationwide and CEO of Mainstay Agro Allied Services Ltd., I was jubilant about the ban on maize importation and your announcement that we can no longer import food considering our economic realities.

I expressed the excitement of myself and other young farmers through the media and greatly celebrated your visionary leadership in that direction.

Sadly, just a few days later, our joy was cut short by a media report on the approval of maize importation by selected companies.

This greatly damped my deliberate efforts targeted to create compelling awareness and attraction of our teeming unemployed youth nationwide to ramp up local production of maize and other critical crops, which will lead to rapid economic recovery, job and wealth creation.

For a government that had been on the forefront of import substitution and backward integration, one finds it hard to reconcile with this selective importation approval for maize. It appears to be a typical case of “do I say but not as I do”.

The sheer cost of providing forex for the five (5) selected companies to import maize will be sufficient to mobilise 10 million young farmers to produce maize nationwide. Let’s even do quick math; the average yield of maize is about 4ton per hectare. Multiply 4ton per hectare by 10 million farmers (assuming each farmer is to a hectare). That instantly gives you an idea of why we are crying foul.

Beyond the massive production, the potential is the huge number of direct and indirect jobs that can be created, capital flight mitigation, enhanced socioeconomic livelihood and ultimate reduction in crime (insecurity).

The worst thing to do is to dampen our efforts in mobilising young people to engage in the agricultural sector especially in view of the rapidly dwindling economy and several issues like the increase in fuel prices, rent tax, increase in electricity tariffs, increase in the cost of food commodities etc.

Youth apathy towards agriculture is a major challenge I am personally working hard to reverse and anything short of full support to achieve that will be counter-productive for us as a nation.

Promise Amahah

CEO Mainstay Agro Allied Services Ltd, [email protected] I
humbly write to draw the President’s urgent attention to the rather unfortunate news that the government has granted approval for some selected companies to import maize into the country due to the following reason:

It is even more disheartening, demoralising, disturbing and demeaning considering that as an individual and young farmer I have made concerted efforts to mobilise fellow young Nigerians under the auspices of the Nigeria Young Farmers Network to ramp up local production in response to the anticipated shortfall.

As a maize farmer and a young Nigerian committed to playing my part through the organised private sector and non-governmental organisation (Nigeria Young Farmers Network and Guard Nigeria Image and Values Initiative) to ensure rapid economic recovery and job creation by mobilising young people (mostly unemployed) to participate in our already developed nationwide program tagged; “Raise a million farmers”, I find this development very worrisome.

As the National Coordinator of Nigeria Young Farmers Network  with over a million members nationwide and CEO of Mainstay Agro Allied Services Ltd., I was jubilant about the ban on maize importation and your announcement that we can no longer import food considering our economic realities.

I expressed the excitement of myself and other young farmers through the media and greatly celebrated your visionary leadership in that direction.

Sadly, just a few days later, our joy was cut short by a media report on the approval of maize importation by selected companies.

This greatly damped my deliberate efforts targeted to create compelling awareness and attraction of our teeming unemployed youth nationwide to ramp up local production of maize and other critical crops, which will lead to rapid economic recovery, job and wealth creation.

For a government that had been on the forefront of import substitution and backward integration, one finds it hard to reconcile with this selective importation approval for maize. It appears to be a typical case of “do I say but not as I do”.

The sheer cost of providing forex for the five (5) selected companies to import maize will be sufficient to mobilise 10 million young farmers to produce maize nationwide. Let’s even do quick math; the average yield of maize is about 4ton per hectare. Multiply 4ton per hectare by 10 million farmers (assuming each farmer is to a hectare). That instantly gives you an idea of why we are crying foul.

Beyond the massive production, the potential is the huge number of direct and indirect jobs that can be created, capital flight mitigation, enhanced socioeconomic livelihood and ultimate reduction in crime (insecurity).

The worst thing to do is to dampen our efforts in mobilising young people to engage in the agricultural sector especially in view of the rapidly dwindling economy and several issues like the increase in fuel prices, rent tax, increase in electricity tariffs, increase in the cost of food commodities etc.

Youth apathy towards agriculture is a major challenge I am personally working hard to reverse and anything short of full support to achieve that will be counter-productive for us as a nation.

Promise Amahah

CEO Mainstay Agro Allied Services Ltd, [email protected]