‘Young farmers’ summit will open new opportunities’
We understand farmers under the aegis Arewa Young Farmers are organising a summit in Kaduna in March, how are you mobilizing stakeholders for the summit? As I speak with you, we have more than 27,000 people that registered their participation through our website. More so, we are using newspapers, radio and television stations to create […]
We understand farmers under the aegis Arewa Young Farmers are organising a summit in Kaduna in March, how are you mobilizing stakeholders for the summit?
As I speak with you, we have more than 27,000 people that registered their participation through our website. More so, we are using newspapers, radio and television stations to create more awareness. We are doing everything possible to get stakeholders from every nook and cranny of Nigeria to participate in the epoch-making summit.
This is the first time ever in the history of Nigeria that young people are willing, with strong determination, to take up agriculture as a means to earn billions. Before now, farming is hardly portrayed in the media as a young person’s future. It was seen as outdated and unprofitable venture.
You will agree with me that the current population of farmers is aging. So disaster is staring at us if our youths do not involve in agriculture. Everybody has a part to play.
Currently, many state governments are struggling with unemployment and salaries issues, how do you think they should key into this summit to get their youths into agriculture, and to liberate their states from endemic poverty?
First and foremost, President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to diversify the economy from oil dependent to a vibrant agro-economy. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh has already started good works in the sector and the youth must be carried along. You know these are difficult times for Nigeria and all the state governors know the dangers we are in now. They are the ones under intense pressure to mitigate the effect of unemployment, endemic poverty, crimes and most recently the dwindling resources, which have crippled many of them. States governments can’t even pay salaries let alone employ new ones. The question now is: what will they now do with the thousands of their graduates in the streets of their state capitals and Abuja? The answer lies with agriculture!
That’s why we invited all the 36 governors including the FCT Minister. We are also asking the state governors to sponsor a strong delegation of at least 20 youths including those trained in agriculture led by the commissioners of agric to the summit. The state governors are also expected to lead the plenary session and their commissioners will serve as rapporteur.
Also, there will be high level interaction and engagements involving policy makers, legislators, captains of industries and those who are already doing well in the sector to produce action-packed solutions that will provoke youth in the summit to take action without further delay. The time for that action is now.
What are the issues the summit will focus on?
The summit will look at so many issues. First, how do we link advances in technology, facilitate innovation and have greater relevance to a diverse and evolving agricultural sector, which focuses on agribusiness and entrepreneurship?
Two, we will look at building the technical skills of young farmers for good farm management, decision-making and identifying opportunities in the various subsectors of agriculture. They must look at crops of comparative advantage in all the agro ecological zones of the country.
Third, we must create that linkage between the youth and financial service providers like banks so that those who want to start up something will leverage on the many windows of opportunities for farmers and SMSEs in the country.
Four, we will look at the several windows for value additions and how governments and investors can provide infrastructure and enabling environment for value chains processing and packaging. This is key to doing agriculture as a business.
It is our firm belief that the change mantra of Buhari’s government will lead to a rebirth in agriculture.
How will this summit be different from other agric conferences and how will it benefit young farmers in Nigeria?
This is an action-packed summit with state government, federal government agencies, agro allied industries, captain of industries, donor groups, financial service providers (banks) and local & intentional NGOS. More than 30 agro allied companies have shown interest to exhibit their products. For the youths, it is a huge opportunity for them to network with key stakeholders with a view to building the linkages that will actualize their dreams.