Why we are organizing farmers’ summit – Arewa young farmers

How will you describe the Arewa Young Farmers Initiative? Arewa Young Farmers Initiative (AYFI) is a non-governmental, non-profit making and non-religious organisation that is accessible to all irrespective of ethnic origin. AYFI is an umbrella organisation that consists of some other non-governmental bodies which share common goals and objectives. It was formed by a group […]

How will you describe the Arewa Young Farmers Initiative?
Arewa Young Farmers Initiative (AYFI) is a non-governmental, non-profit making and non-religious organisation that is accessible to all irrespective of ethnic origin. AYFI is an umbrella organisation that consists of some other non-governmental bodies which share common goals and objectives. It was formed by a group of young and focused individuals who are determined to forcefully and doggedly pursue agricultural development in all ramifications in Nigeria until there is a meaningful turnaround from the over-dependence on oil.

You plan to host the organisation’s first young farmers’ summit next month. Can you shed more light on this?
Agriculture is the goldmine Nigeria seems to have neglected over the years. The sector has the potentials to employ millions of youths who are just roaming the streets of our cities. With over 100,000 graduates entering the labour market every year, unemployment is widening by the day.  You know as well as I do that agriculture – food security is very important to the development of any nation and the youth are the engine room of any development, which is why this summit seeks to encourage their participation in the agricultural sector. Our aim is to change the negative perception the youth have of engaging in agriculture. They see farmers as uneducated, unskilled, physical labourers with extremely low economic returns. But modern agriculture is more than tilling the soil or raising animals. The sector today offers career opportunities in many areas you can think of – is it research, environment, financial management, engineering or technology – they are all areas for the youth to explore.
This conference, which is the first of its kind in Nigeria, will highlight the role of young Nigerians in driving the nation’s agriculture to the promised land. Secondly, there is compelling evidence of the increasing population of aging farmers in the country.

How many young Nigerians are into cocoa production in the West today for instance? Cocoa is dying in Nigeria because the farmers are aging while the young ones don’t have interest in it.
These issues must be addressed to facilitate sustainability in agricultural production. Today in Nigeria, the average age of farmers is 47 years and life expectancy averages between 47-50 years. So you see, if we don’t deal with this issue now and get the youth deeply involved in the sector, food security and employment will be far from us. That is what we want to address the issue by highlighting new emerging opportunities within the sector, which the youths can take advantage of and become Nigeria’s future billionaires.

Is this summit meant for only Arewa young farmers? Or who do you want to see participate in the conference?
This summit is designed for all stakeholders who are driving the sector. Look at the huge potentials in the North for agriculture, yet the youths lack the motivation to take up farming because the infrastructure is not there. We are challenging wealthy Nigerians and governments to step up investments in agriculture. Modern agriculture presents opportunities everywhere, irrespective of your geographical enclave.

What do you think the youths need from government in terms of agriculture?
The youths want government to make the sector attractive by building infrastructures everywhere; talk to the private investors to see the huge opportunities in the sector. In recent times, everybody was talking about value addition, how much infrastructure for value addition is there?
Secondly, inputs must be available and affordable at all times. Government should build more irrigation sites if possible, build farm settlements like the ones we had in the 1960s with infrastructures in all locations for the youth and see how they will rush to the sector.
Thirdly, equip research institutes to do demand-driven researches for the youth; make improved seedling varieties available for them all year round that will scale up production and increase income.
Four, link them up to markets at home and abroad; that will solve the problems of who to buy what they produce or the services they offer or the technologies they developed.
Five, access to finance is important to agric development. Today’s reality is not tenable at all. Banks still give agric loans – that is if you meet their collateral demands, at double digits. How many youths can afford that? Certainly few.
Six, extension services must be available to them at little or no cost. Teach them what to plant where and when; how to harvest and where to store and possibly when to sell to make more money.

Is there going to be exhibition by processors, farmers, agro-allied industries and the sector service providers?
Yes. Let me tell you something, knowledge is power. A lot is going on in the sector that many young people do not know. We have new technologies that have made farming very easy – something totally
different from what it used to be decades ago. People will see how actors in the sector are making millions and becoming richer every day. There will be a lot of fantastic exhibitions by agro-allied industries, agro researchers, individual/multinational farmers, agro-processors, commodity associations and individual innovators that will thrill thousands of our participants.

How would you want to see agro-allied industries, farmers, agric ministries at the federal and state levels participate in the conference?
This is a huge opportunity which must not be allowed to pass by any relevant stakeholders, especially now that government is talking about diversifying the economy from oil to agric and mining. Governments have been paying lip service for long, that is why we are where we are today struggling with many problems caused by poverty.