.as youths in agric call for support

By Gabriel Ewepu

ABUJA – AS hunger remains unabated across the country, ActionAid Nigeria AAN, and the Senate Committee on Agriculture Production Services and Rural Development, Thursday, conveyed a youth dialogue in a bid to boost food production and inclusivity in the food systems.

The Senate Committee, Chairman on Agriculture Production Services and Rural Development, Senator Saliu Mustapha speaking at the dialogue tagged ‘National Young People’s Dialogue on Inclusive Food Systems, with support from GIZ Sustainable Agricultural Systems and Policies, AgSys, while giving an address of welcome, pointed out that the nation at this point needs to allow a shift from the old agricultural practices and support the young people to drive food production in the country.

Mustapha also said the youth are eager to bring about the shift with innovations and technology, therefore, demand the support of the government and donor agencies to actualize it.

Political Economy Analysis (PEA) of youth employability in the agriculture sector has been conducted and the structural, institutional, and policy-related factors that impact youth employment has been identified. Hence, the urgent need to establish the Nigerian Youth in AgriTech & Innovation Programme (NYATIP)

The dialogue had in attendance young people from the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and others include relevant Ministries, Bank of Agriculture, BoA, the Presidency, development partners, and the media.

He said: “This dialogue aims to explore ways to ensure youth participation in the agricultural sector, reducing poverty. achieving economic growth, and generating employment opportunities for young people.

“Nigeria’s population is on a steady rise, necessitating a significant increase in food production. However, achieving food security is not just about producing more food, but also about ensuring equitable access and distribution. Sustainable agricultural practices have made progress, but challenges like climate change, limited arable land, water scarcity, and biodiversity loss persist.

“Youth participation in agriculture is crucial for addressing these challenges. With their fresh perspectives, technological aptitude, and passion for sustainability, young
individuals can bring innovative solutions to the agricultural sector. Nigeria’s teeming youth population can be leveraged to achieve economic growth and improved food production.

“Despite the potential, Nigerian agriculture faces challenges, including an aging farming population, limited access to modern farming technologies, and underutilized arable land. Enhancing agricultural productivity and value chains is essential for reducing unemployment, poverty, and food insecurity.

“This dialogue will proffer solutions to the challenges hindering effective youth participation and employment in the agricultural sector. We will explore opportunities for youth involvement in agriculture, including entrepreneurship, value addition, and diversification efforts.

“By promoting youth participation in agriculture, we can unlock opportunities for economic growth, job creation, and sustainable development, ultimately contributing to a more food-secure future for all.

“Youth participation in agriculture offers numerous benefits, including economic growth, job creation, and sustainable development. Agriculture provides diverse employment opportunities, such as crop production, livestock production, supporting young entrepreneurs, governments can empower them to start businesses, create jobs, and contribute to food security. On this note, I invite you all to consider being a part of this programme that will encourage our youth’s active participation in the Agricultural sector.”

Also, the Country Director, AAN, Andrew, Mamedu represented by the Deputy Country Director and Director Programme and Policy, Suwaiba Dakanbo, in a remark said, “We want the president to recognize the initiatives of the young people in Nigeria, and sitting in this hall are young people from the 36 States of Nigeria, and they are here to dialogue and discuss with their senators, those who have the mandate of ensuring that agriculture is responsive to the needs of everyone (gender and youth responsive) that the young people in Nigeria out there who are ready to go into farming, if the future of Nigeria is in their hands, and if all the young people in Nigeria agree to take up farming as a profession, I am sure food security of the nation will be achieved.

“I believe the young people will continue to engage in dialogue and negotiation,band re given the right ears and understanding of what they need by creating the enabling environment that will help them to be self-employed and to have the necessary tools they required as dignified young people in Nigeria.”

The Managing Director, MD, and Chief Executive Officer, CEO, Bank of Agriculture, BoA, Ayo Sotinrin, while responding to some of the questions and concerns by the young farmers during the dialogue said, “Two weeks after I was appointed I was speaking at a Programme organised by UNTR in Kenya, and I made a pledge on behalf of the Nigerian Government and the Bank of Agriculture, BoA, that we will be investing in 200,000 IDPs, and persons with disabilities over the next five years. What that means to us is that we are not just creating products for women and youth alone, we are creating products for persons with disabilities, and give them a voice.”

Meanwhile, on the sidelines of the dialogue, he () said, “For us, out job is very simple rural and agriculture financing, and what that means is we want to support the 40-70 million farmers across the country to start to think of agriculture not as a way of life but as business.”

Also, in a presentation by Food Systems Specialist, ActionAid Nigeria, Azubike Nwokoye, titled’ Political Economy Analysis (PEA)’, for Nigerians Youths in Agriculture Programme, said it is important for Nigeria to turn her population towards the direction of economic growth, which according the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, Nigeria’s youth population stands at about 95.3 million between the ages of 18 and 35, growth rate at 2.4, more than countries like Ghana, Kenya, and others, and also the Nigerian population will keep on increasing while about 70 per cent of Nigeria’s young population 42 per cent are under age 15, and the median age is 18 years, “it means that we need to take advantage of this population and turn out agriculture around.”

Nwokoye also also warned that if government fails to invest in youth in agriculture, the country is losing N60 trillion annually based on available statistics, therefore, stakeholders including NADF, development partners, Federal and State governments should support the programme in order to harness the agricultural potential of the country’s youth population.

According to Nwokoye, ActionAid’s data shows that in the rural areas, young people are already into agriculture, “It is is important we also come up with a programme to support both rural and urban youth, and we need to take advantage of what is also happening; a young woman said she is producing grasshoppers to substitute as poultry feed, while another said she producing maggots as poultry feed, and so this are the things we need to take advantage of. We need agritech and as an official programme to support urban youth in agriculture for poverty reduction and economic growth and transformation.

“We need to put in measures to enhance job creation in the rural areas so that we can slow down rural-urban migration, and if there is absence of job opportunities within the rural areas it mean that there can influence unprecedented migration from rural to urban areas.

“Finance/capital is a pressing problem faced by youths in agriculture as commercial banks refuse to give providers (FSPs) regarding youth in agriculture, leading to their inability to serve the youths, policies and out loans to them on the basis of how young they are and therefore, perceived as high-risk borrowers.

“Some of the factors responsible for this include the negative perceptions of financial service
other regulatory hindrances.”

Speaking on behalf of the young farmers, the Coordinator, Nigeria Youth Farmers in Agritech and Innovations, Solihu Olatunji, said,
“We all need young farmers in each State and our voices need to be heard at the state and federal levels.

“The future of Nigeria depends on young people and we are the young people that need to be represented. A lot of us here are young farmers, and some of us are into organic farming, livestock, but we lack support, we need support from our lawmakers, we are agitating for policy from you, policy inclusion and support from the Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

“If young farmers can get funding through the National Agricultural Development Fund, NADF, it will really go a long way in reaching young farmers in the 36 States.”

He also appreciated ActionAid and GIZ for giving them a platform for their voice to be heard, and also working together as young farmers from the 36 States and the FCT.

A young cucumber farmer with disability from Kano State, Badiyya Ibrahim, said they need financial support including access to a guaranteed loan, seeds, fertilizers, and other farm equipment.

“We really need help, and as a person with disability, I am here as a farmer, and there are so many persons with disabilities who are farmers as well but they don’t have the capital to move forward in order to achieve their aims because of lack of capital or support they are out there on the streets begging”, Ibrahim said.