FG Trains 50 Unemployed Graduates On Agripreneurship

In its quest to tackle high rate of joblessness among youths, the Federal Government has kicked off 2018 development training for unemployed graduates and practicing farmers at the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, FECA. The one-week training programme sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development attracted youth and women participants from Akure North and South Federal constituency. Addressing the participants, the Provost of the College, Dr. Samson Adeola Odedina said, the training was geared toward empowering the participants in various agricultural businesses. 

Odedina who noted that agriculture is not only hoe and cutlass,said there are so many exciting opportunities where the youths and unemployed graduates can explore. According to the him, “They abound in production, bulk purchase, marketing and others; it is only when youths are exposed to these through trainings that they can maximize the opportunity “. While expressing satisfaction with the present recognition and importance given to training, as a prerequisite for success in the business of agriculture ,Odedina thanked the Federal Government for making agriculture attractive to the youths, so as to utilise the value added chain opportunities. 

His words :”We are satisfied that the stakeholders and government agencies involved in using Agriculture as a sustainable means of providing employment, raw materials for industries and for diversification of the economy, have registered and recognized the Federal College of Agriculture, Akure, as credible training destination in the continent. “When people are poorly trained or not trained at all, they tend to blackmail Agriculture opportunities as not being profitable. We are confident, with the success stories, of the profitability of the training areas. An appreciable number of our past trainees are now Agro -millionaires and also role models in the industry. 

“This is the third consecutive week that the College will be hosting different training events sponsored by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, with voluntary registration now above 1000 entries. ” I urged stakeholders not to ignore the College in whatever their plan is for youth empowerment through agriculture, sourcing of raw materials , job creation and general understanding of how agriculture works as a ‘business’.” 

Speaking at the opening of the training, the Ondo State Deputy Governor, Hon. Agboola Ajayi, stressed the need for the youths to embrace agriculture as means of livelihood, noting that, that is the only way to go in the country. Agboola said, ” This training programme is better than distributing Okada for the people. The white collar jobs are no longer there . The best thing to do now is to go back to Agriculture. We will train you and give you money and equally help you to look for off takers”.

Read More at: Leadership

World Bank Group scores Nigeria agric sub-sector low

Abuja – The World Bank Group on Tuesday in Abuja has said there is a need for governments to strengthen laws that govern the agricultural sector in the country. Mr Farbod Youssefi, the Programme Manager at the World Bank made the appeal at a workshop organised by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), in partnership with the World Bank Group. The workshop was on the Enabling Business of Agriculture (EBA, 2017) report for Nigeria. 

According to him, Nigeria has weak laws and regulation in areas are that deal with seeds production, marketing and transportation of agricultural products. “There are other areas such as finance, fertilizer, machinery where the scores in Nigeria are actually higher than in other countries but still there are areas where planning improvement can be made.

 “The presentation highlights those opportunities to improve regulation for agribusiness in Nigeria. “The EBA measures and monitors key elements of countries’ regulatory framework that affect agribusiness value chains. “It identifies and analyzes legal barriers for the business of agriculture and quantifies transaction costs of dealing with government regulations, while at the same time providing indicators that can be used to benchmark the regulatory environment of different economies. “The globally comparable data it presents can inform policy dialogue and reforms, which promote private sector investments in the agricultural sector,” Youssefi said. 

Dr Kehinde Makinde, Country Manager, AGRA, said that business needed an appropriate environment to flourish, adding that this was an opportunity to get feedback from stakeholders in case of lapses from the report. “So what this report does is to go through different countries to see their business environment in terms of agricultural business value chain and the regular chain framework. “We are talking about sectors like seed, fertilizer, machinery that have been indicated in this report. “We want to show how each country is performing on the benchmark against other countries.” Makinde said that there were 62 countries that were covered in the report which showcased how Nigeria was doing in relation to other countries. 

“The essence is to provide information that policy actors like the private sector, policy makers and media can be used to be able to see what level Nigeria is and see what needs to be done to improve on these indicators. “This is a world bank report on enabling business for agriculture for Nigeria. It is clear that to do this, they consulted with many partners. ”The quality of data you get depends on those people that provided the information.” Makinde said World Bank is a credible institution’ which had been in the business over time. ”People may have one or two reasons to disagree with this report but it doesn’t mean it applies to everywhere in the country. “They are looking for an average for the nation. 

In a particular state, they may have a different situation maybe a little higher than average or little below. “But what is important is to see the general situation of things and look at the general situation that the report talked about. Makinde maintained that the report spoke about the country and not a particular area, adding, ”if there are issues with the report, this is a platform to get feedback from stakeholders. “We will look through this together then we inform future reports where we see there are errors. But I think in large measure, what we have seen here has been validated by others,” he said. 

On his part, Mr Waziri Ahmad, Commissioner for Agriculture, Adamawa, faulted the report on machinery. Ahmad stated that the report only considered the legal area without looking at the reality on ground. According to him, the record scored Nigeria high in machinery while the country barely has less than 30,000 functioning tractors for farmers. “With our population, we should have more tractors in the country. Talking about 300,000 to 400,000 tractors but we have less than 30,000 functioning tractors in the country right now. 

“On the other hand, the EBA assessment score is very high but in reality it is not like that. So there is a disconnection in that aspect. “We find ourselves in a situation where smallholder farmers are over 90 per cent of the farming populace and we will be with that for a long time,” he said. Ahmad said that officially, the Federal Government and most states had not taken cognizance that there should be two-track approach. “That is mechanisation for large scale farmers and the other is for the smallholder farmers who are the large majority,” he added. He, however, urged those reviewing the draft before presenting the final report to look at the issue of mechanisation in order to improve productivity in the agricultural sector. The World Bank Group report scored the country’s seed sector 48.85 per cent and markets 49.24 per cent. 

Others are transport 46.30 per cent, water 32.03 per cent, ICT 50.00 per cent, fertiliser 57.79 per cent, machinery 63.07 per cent and finance 57.21 per cent. Youssefi welcomed observations from some stakeholders while and said the report was collated before June 2017. He assured that the transformations that had taken place in the agricultural sector from June 2017 till date would be captured in the 2018 report. 

(NAN)

Green Shirts of the Niger Delta

When T.Y. Bello (Toyin Sofekun-Bello) sang: “The land is green, is green, oh oh oh; the land is green, is green, can’t you see” she might have had the Niger Delta in mind. No part of our country  is more lush fully green than the Niger Delta  with its all-year round rainfall.  Even in times of tragic oil pollution, some plants stubbornly sprout with their  green coated in oil, as if to say, ‘this land is ours’

The irony however is that the rich natural vegetation of the Region has not translated into food self-sufficiency or security. Like most parts of the country, the Niger Delta has become like Abdul, the man in the fairy tale who wants to get rich without working. Yes, oil is a rich resource, but as we know, it is a wasting one; not only will it not last, but also, its  importance is diminishing daily with humanity finding alternative ways of powering energy and automobiles. In fact, future cars will be run on recycled water. This is why the Government of President Muhammadu Buhari harps not just on the need for alternative sources of income for the country, but with its Green Initiative, backed by various programmes like the CBN Anchor Borrowers Programme and those of the Bank of Industry, point at agriculture as what would save the country.

When in July, 2015, I was appointed the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme with the sustainable reintegration of 30,000 ex-Militants as a main target, I  worked out in the back of my mind, the fastest and best way to achieve this. My conclusion is   to let the Amnesty Beneficiaries blend with the greenery of the Region by attracting them to return to culture the land and fish ponds.

This I also found as the answer to the Federal Government’s primary objectives in the Niger  Delta which are to ensure peace and sustainable development. So apart from continuing the existing projects such as developing the human capital resource of the Region through tertiary education, professional and vocation training and empowerment, my team and I took the sure turn to agriculture. We entered into partnership with various organisations like the Bio Technology Resource Centre, university Agriculture faculties and established farms to train the ex-Agitators.

These seedlings we are planting are beginning to sprout. You can imagine my joy when on Friday October 13, 2017, before the chiefs, elders and people of George Town, Okrika, Rivers State, twenty young men in green overall stood before us, the mass media and the world, as I handed over to them a modern, zero-waste, integrated cluster farm. These were part of the 105 youths the Presidential Amnesty programme had trained under the Songhai Rivers Initiative Farm. While their colleagues are being empowered with single stand- alone farms and ponds, this was our first experiment to group ex-Agitators into cluster farms, register them as cooperatives and watch them become not just self-employed, but also employing other unemployed youth.

The model farm, fully funded by the  Presidential Amnesty  Programme which we handed over to the Beneficiaries, has 30 Ponds, one  Run-off Earthen Pond, 5000 Bird Poultry including Broiler and  Layers, Free Range, Cropping and Processing Sections,1 Administration and Sales Office, 2 Feed Stores, 2 Implement Stores and one Control Room.

I told the Beneficiaries that they have a once in a life time opportunity not just to make a decent living for themselves and their families but also to employ a number of the unemployed. I also  informed them that  the Amnesty Office was further empowering them by handing over to them as a start-off package, 1000 fingerlings to 2000 post fingerlings,  100 Point of Lay Birds and an additional 200 broilers, 10 Piglets  and a Crop Section with  Cucumber, Pepper, Pumpkin and Okra.

Perhaps the most critical aspect of this farm is that it is designed to be one  with an all-year round production by running a staggered stocking and harvesting plan. With this, commercial sales have been programmed  with the sale of eggs by  November 1, 2017 and, smoked fish, broilers  and vegetables in December, 2017.  We opted that smoked fish, rather than fresh fish be sold, first to add value and secondly to make more profit.

I was also very happy with  George Town  which provided the land for the farm. I was elated when the traditional leader of the town, Chief Akuro Richard George said with this project, we had brought  Federal presence to them  and that the  project has established a bond between the George Town  people and the Federal Government. His request that the Presidential Amnesty Programme establishes   a skills acquisition centre in George Town to cater for lots of unemployed youths, is one that sits well with the Presidential Amnesty Office.

My happiness knew no bounds when the  Chairman of the ex-Agitators  Cooperative, Mr. Emmanuel.T. Promise,  thanked the Federal Government for giving them the opportunity  of  their lives to  run a  viable and sustainable business of their own.  These are men who had picked up arms to fight the country, but who are now a role model for their peers and are resolved to run their lives in peace and security.

The occasion further convinced me that this is the way to go; that this cluster farm which we registered with the  Rivers State Government as “Okrika Agro Farmers 105 Cooperative and Investment and Credit Society Limited”  must be  replicated in other parts of the Niger Delta. Already, we have 1,000 Beneficiaries   who have either been trained, being trained or are on the waiting list to be trained in agriculture.

As we continue with this, our attention is also directed at rice farming for which we have already trained 305 Beneficiaries with two of them establishing their rice farms in Ughelli. My vision is to produce tens of thousands of youths in the Niger Delta cladded in their green overall and shirts, turning the Region into a Green Belt and blending with the green vegetation.  This is the beginning of what I call the “Green Shirt Movement” The Land is green and is becoming greener, can’t you see?

*Brig-Gen. Paul Tarela Boroh is the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta and Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

Source: The Nation

Nigerians importing poverty by importing food – Ogbeh

It has been confirmed that Nigerians import poverty and unemployment through importation of foods and by creating more problems by consuming what they do not produce in the country.

The Minister of Agriculture, Audu Ogbe made this known in Abeokuta during the convocation lecture of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.

He noted the country is in serious need of the youths in agriculture to produce the right kind of foods which are in high demand in the country.

He hinted that Nigeria is spending more than 22billion dollars every year on food importation.

The minister who insisted that the most powerful legislative chamber in the world is the stomach, said the future of the country shall be determined by food production.

He also projected that by year 2050 the population of the country will be 450 million and such huge population cannot survive on importation of foods.

He urged the nutrition department of the University to come up with researches that will assist Nigeria to produce the right kind of food that will assist people and guide against building another set of stunted youths.

The minister also advised the institution’s management to review its grading system to 60% practical and 40% percent theory.

He promised that the federal government will build a dam in the institution and assured them that the government is ready to give them the necessary support.

Source: TVC News

Ogun seeks to displace Benue as Nigeria’s food basket

By Samuel Awoyinfa, Abeokuta

The Ogun State Government says it has embarked on many agricultural projects that will make the state self-sufficient,  adding it aims to become the food basket of the nation.

Commissioner for Agriculture, Mrs Adepeju Adebajo, said this during a press briefing to commemorate the 2017 World Food Day’ with the theme ‘Change the Future of Migration, Invest in Food Security and Rural Development.’

Adebajo who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr Steve Ipiniwa, said most of the projects sited at various parts of the state and mostly in agrarian communities would not only stop rural-urban migration but also provide employment opportunities for youths.

Some of the farm projects which she called ‘’Special Intervention Projects’’ included the 320 hectares Rice Revolution Programme in Eggua, Yewa North, Onigbedu and Itori in Ewekoro Local Government Areas of the state.

Adebajo added that harvesting had commenced at the rice plantation with purchase and installation of four rice mill equipment of different capacities for processing rice paddy.

The Commissioner said the other projects embarked upon included 2,000 hectares of cassava revolution project at Owowo, and poultry revolution project at Odeda, with the construction of six poultry pens of 10,000 capacity each.

She also listed fishery revolution project with construction of 1,000 earthen pounds at Odeda, Ikenne and Imasai.

She called on concerned communities to protect them and take ownership of the projects, urging the youths to take full advantage and improve on their agricultural skills, as days of seeking for white collar jobs were over.

Source: PUNCH

We are concerned with mobilising youthS for agriculture – Ogbeh

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Chief Audu Ogbeh on Thursday called for increased collaborations between Universities of Agriculture(UAs) and relevant agencies of the government as part of efforts to boost agriculture in Nigeria. Ogbeh made the call in Abeokuta while delivering a lecture organised as part of activities for the 23rd, 24th and 25th combined Convocation ceremonies of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNNAB)

 “The Universities of Agriculture should probably be our most important partners in the agricultural sector because agriculture cannot thrive without knowledge. “We are determined to remodel the UAs as nodal centres of excellence and I assure you that our approach will be friendly and inclusive. “We are concerned with mobilising the youth for agriculture. “The UAs are fertile grounds for the accomplishment of this objective and that is why I have directed that the UAs should review their curricula and grading system to give more weight to practical agricultural activities rather than mere theory. “I therefore seek your cooperation in ensuring that this university and the other two are truly remodeled and focused as specialised institutions of agricultural education and training in line with the vision of the founding fathers,’’he said. 

The minister particularly sought the expertise of FUNNAB in the area of research and innovation, saying that the challenges in the agricultural sector required new frontiers of knowledge for significant breakthroughs. Ogbeh also asked the institution to compliment the ministry with knowledge on more efficient utilisation of resources, especially in the area of interconnection between land and land- base resources. The minister also decried alleged deviation of the AUs from their core mandates, describing it as “a dangerous signal and a disincentive to agricultural development in the nation’’. Nigeria has three universities of Agriculture namely the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNNAB), Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi and the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike,Abia state. He listed the areas of departures as including departure from the provisions of the original statute establishing the AUs, departure from the original academic and programme structure and departure from best global practices. “Until the recent policy change, the institutional structure and functions of the UAs show a marked departure from both the norm in implementing the concept of UAs in other parts of the world.

 “I urge FUNNAB and the two other UAs to take advantage of their reintegration into the Ministry of Agriculture and get enlisted as our reliable allies in the agricultural sector,’’ he said. Ogbeh promised that the Ministry of Agriculture would build a dam and blocks of hostels in the school. He also promised to provide mini- tractors at 60 per cent discount as well as develop the institutions’ seed faculty for production of more improved seedlings among other areas of support. 

(NAN)

Adesina commits $250,000 to African youths in agriculture

President, African Development Bank, Mr. Akinwumi Adesina

Nigeria’s image received a boost on Thursday before the international community as former Agriculture Minister Akinwumi Adesina formally received the 2017 World Food Prize Laureate award in the US.

Adesina was conferred with the laureate in Des Moines, U. S. during which he committed the 250,000 dollars cash prize to set up a fund for financing African youths in agriculture.

Adesina had been announced as the winner of the global feat by the WFP for his dogged determination and practical commitment to boosting agriculture and food supply chain both as Minister of Agriculture and President of AfDB.

Adesina, who is also the President of African Development Bank, commended his staff for the shared passion to feed Africa.

The former minister expressed gratitude to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo for nominating him as minister.

Adesina also thanked former President Goodluck Jonathan for giving him the opportunity to serve as a minister.

He also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his strong support to achieve the feat.

“There wouldn’t be any rest for me until Africa feeds itself and for that, we need the youth.

“And so even though I don’t have the cash in my hand, I hereby commit my $250,000 as a cash prize for the WFP award to set up a fund fully dedicated to providing financing for the youth of Africa in agriculture to feed Africa.

“A day is coming very soon when the barns of Africa will be filled and all her children will be well fed when millions of farmers will be able to send their kids to school.

“Then you will hear a new song across Africa; thank God our lives are better for us,” Adesina said.

The Governor of Iowa, Kim Reynolds, who officially declared Adesina as the 2017 laureate winner of the WFP, said he was a man who grew out of poverty to create wealth.

Reynolds said that the laureate commitment and dedication in agriculture had impacted on lives of many, not only in Africa but around the world.

Former President of Ghana, John Mahama, attended the ceremony and other dignitaries from Nigeria and African countries.

(NAN)