Last week I stated why it is imperative that the agricultural sector be revived if any meaningful result is to be achieved in fighting the poverty and the growing divide between the rich and the poor. However, it is a notorious fact that almost everyone in Nigeria, particularly youths are not interested and do not want to engage in farming any longer. Most youths and unemployed graduates are only interested in white collar office jobs, and for the most part, these jobs are no longer available as in the past. Most local, state and federal government ministries and parastatals have stopped employment and, and majority of the industries and multinational organizations have shipped their bases to other countries. We are now confronted with unemployment of immense proportion, especially among our youth. The stark reality in the face of the economic downtown in the country due to the extreme shortfall in oil revenue is that we have to go back to the land and resuscitate the old glory of agriculture that has provided jobs and food for our forebears prior to the misguided pursuit of oil wealth. However there are enormous problems to be surmounted in order to revive the lost glory of agriculture in Nigeria. These problems include but are not limited to the following:

Over the last three editions I undertook an examination of extreme poverty which now pervades the country. I stated the poor attitude of Nigerians to giving and contrasted this with how charities and foundations in other countries are helping to ameliorate the effects of poor governmental policies on the citizens and concluded with the fact that philanthropy could actually aid development if properly channeled in the direction of critical sectors of the economy. This week I will examine another contributing factor to rising state of poverty which is the abandonment of the agricultural sector. 

This week, in continuation of my discussion of the issue of poverty in the country, I will highlight how philanthropy can aid development.

LAST week I discussed the rising state of poverty and how the poor attitude of Nigerians to giving continues to contribute to it. I stated how government alone cannot reasonably be expected, particularly in the light of the world’s current economic realities, to improve the quality of life of everyone to the level which most people expect and how wealthy individuals can aide government in the provision of amenities of life to the less privileged.

IT is Christmas and the end of the year again. It is traditionally a time that Nigerians irrespective of tribe, religion or political leaning use as a period of relaxation and merry making in appreciation and perhaps celebration of the feat of surviving yet another year in Nigeria. It is also used as a period of planning for the coming year.