By Enuma Chigbo

“You are not farmers; you are agricpreneurs.” -Obioma Liyel-Imoke, wife of the Cross River State Governor.

It’s really interesting the way new words come out of different people and in different locations. In this case it was all the way in Port Novo, Republic of Benin.

Obioma was invited to co- chair a three-day workshop, titled: “The Women and Youth as Catalyst in Agribusiness”, perhaps a first of its kind. So, accompanied by her Project Directors, Commissioner for Women Affairs and some other senior officials, all roads led to the Republic of Benin.

The journey was via the ever- bustling commercial city of Lagos, through Badagry known for its infamous slave route. The Seme Border, which is the boundary between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin is not far off. It’s a tiny border but things happen there, trade in different commodities being the most prominent of them all, and that then marked the cross over into Benin Republic.

In this country, the roads look the same and so do the people. And then you wonder why there are two different countries and not one – until you speak and get blank stares in exchange. Indeed in this near but faraway land, you get to realise that it is not business as usual.  “Good morning,” somewhat finds its way to the back burner and is replaced with “Bonjour,” and “Que-est que ce” immediately replaces “What is this?” It goes on and on…

Fortunately at this landmark event interpreters were on hand for the linguistically challenged. That meeting could best be described as a melting pot of nations. Thirteen African countries were represented, some of them being Nigeria, Ghana, Republic of Benin, and The Gambia. They were there to address a very serious problem – women and youth unemployment.

“This is a serious problem,” said UNIDO’s Regional Director, Patrick Kormowa. “If not addressed there will be major problems in Africa.”

The UN systems offices came up with the idea of stakeholders to organise this forum, the project combines research on successful agribusiness enterprises such as the Songhai model with stakeholder consultations – ultimately aimed at developing policy guidelines for formulating agribusiness programmes as well as national policies that are focused on improving employment opportunities for young people in the agricultural sector.

Venue for this event was the 6,000-hectare corporate headquarters of the Songhai farms, reminiscent of the ancient Songhai Empire which then extended to some parts of present day Republic of Benin and Nigeria. The Songhai Empire is a medieval civilization thought to have started in the ninth century as a small principality in West Africa, located on both banks of the Niger River. In the 16th century, it became the largest pre- colonial empire ever to be created in West Africa.

“The solution to unemployment is agriculture,” said Fr Godfrey Nzamujo, Director of the Songhai Centre in his welcome remarks. The organisers of the event note that a vibrant rural sector generates local demand for locally produced products and services.

Recognising smallholder farms as agribusinesses, irrespective of their size or scale, is an important first step in making the sub-region’s rural sector a viable choice for young people. The challenge is to create a vibrant rural economy by making agriculture more productive, efficient, remunerative and competitive with the view to creating employment for young people.

“This is a fantastic workshop,” said Obioma during her presentation on the first day. “I have an NGO and our first focus is on agriculture. Of the state’s 3.2 million people, about 75% are subsistent farmers living in rural communities. However, the state like the rest of Nigeria and other countries in the world is facing the problem of rural urban migration and an aging farmer population. “It is therefore imperative that women who are the acknowledged mainstay of many families, and young people who are the ideal catalyst for significant change should be encouraged to adopt farming as a profession.”

However, there are challenges, she noted, some of which are poor transportation and power infrastructure, particularly in the rural areas; inadequate access to market and linkages; unfavourable price fixing by middlemen; perceived stigma attached to young farmers and their desire for white collar employment as opposed to agricultural entrepreneurship; low levels of financial literacy; competence, self esteem and negotiation skills, lack of education, particularly of the girl child, the challenge of collateral provision; gender gaps in land and other property ownership, thus limiting ability to secure borrowing, uncoordinated and/or ineffective Government support efforts; poor coordination between public sector, private sector and donor agencies.

Participants were then taken on a tour of the Songhai Centre amongst them was Cynthia Umoru, CEO of Farmshoppe also known as the “pretty farmer.”  According to her, the world population is expected to grow from the current 6.5billion to 8 billion in 2050. “How do we feed the world then? Young people are migrating from Africa to greener pastures but Africa holds the potential to become the food belt of the world.

“Where there is a will there is a way,” Obioma concluded.