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)

Farmer explains problems with yam tubers exported to U.S.

Yam

An entrepreneur, Mr Yandev Amaabai, has advised the Federal Government to fast-track the transportation of yam tubers to the United States of America and the United Kingdom before their shelf life expiration.

Amaabai, who is the Managing Director of  Wan Nyikwagh Farms Nigeria Limited, made this appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.

He said that the Federal Government’s policy on yam exportation was a good initiative, noting that Nigeria was the largest producer of yam tubers in Africa.

According to him, for the policy to achieve its set objectives, there are some challenges that should be addressed by the government to ease the stress of exporting farm produce to other countries.

“I moved my yams from Benue to Lagos on June 25 and June 26; the inauguration  for the yam exportation was on  June 29 by the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh.

“When we got to Lagos, I discovered that we needed a refrigerated  container to export the yams.

“After the inauguration, I was able to get the required container, so my yams were loaded on July 7 and left Nigeria on July 9 to the U.S. but the yams did not get there until Sept. 1.

“After the inauguration , we were left alone without any form of direction or assistance by the government and this did not go down well with us.

“Because movement  within the ports took us more than two to three weeks and to move a container from Tin Can port to Apapa port just a close distance, was hectic for us, ” he said.

According to him, the Federal Government agency saddled with the responsibility to ensure proper packaging and handling of this produce for export lacks the requisite capacity.

“We were asked to cut the bottom of the yams and put wax but when the yams got to the U.S., we discovered that was not necessary. The moment you cut the bottom of the yam, it gets rotten quicker.

“So some of the yams on arriving the U.S. were actually not too good again but most others were good and we sold them out, ” he said.

Reacting to the recent report of poor quality of consignment of yams exported from Nigeria to the US, the exporter  debunked the story, saying that the report was politically motivated to frustrate government’s efforts.

“We did not have any challenge with the American Government; my yams was the first to arrive. It was cleared and delivered in the warehouse.

“There is no way these yams could have been 100 per cent good because of the time wasted to ship them to the U.S.

Amaabai, however, called on the Federal Government to reach out to these shipping lines on the need to fast-track the delivery of such perishable products.

NAN reports that the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS), an agency that has the responsibility to ensure the quality of yam for export, provided farmers with guidelines to meet international standards.

Dr Vincent Isegbe, the Coordinating Director, NAQS, spelt out the conditions to include: uniform size of the product, no growth on the head, cut and waxed with candle to prevent infections.

However, a recent report had it that poor quality of yam tubers were exported to the U.S., which the Federal Government  planned  to investigate.

Source: The News

No going back on yam export – Agric Minister

The federal government said it will not relent in its yam export policy which is aimed at attracting foreign exchange for the country.

Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said this during a sensitisation walk in commemoration of the World Food Day in Abuja on Tuesday.

Mr. Ogbeh, who was reacting to reports that some yams recently exported to Britain were rejected, said that the policy had come to stay.

The minister said that the setback would not deter the dealers of the produce from exporting it, pointing out that the current world market for yams was worth $12 billion.

He said that the country could not afford to stay away from it because it was the highest producer of yams in the world.

“I read some news report about some yams arriving in Britain and being rejected. They stayed so long en route and if they stay that long, they are bound to rot.

“It happens to yams from Ghana as well. We will not stop the policy of the exportation of yam. I can assure you that.

“It is a policy that will stay because we are the largest producers of yams in the world. We produce 67 per cent of the yams.

“We will continue to help exporters; we will not as an institute export yams. We only support the private sector to do that and if there are problems we will solve them,’’ he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the yam export initiative was flagged off on June 29 and the consignment exported to the U.S. recently was rejected.

Exporters of yam include Messrs Wan-Nyikwagh Farms Nig. Ltd, Gboko, Nigeria and Oklanbest Limited, Ibadan, Nigeria.

Meanwhile, an exporter of the product, Yandev Amaabai, has identified the challenges that government should addressed to ease the exportation yams.

He said they included lack of refrigerated container and the long time the produce stay before its arrival to Europe of America.

(NAN)

Source: Premium Times

Anchor Borrowers’ Programme: Rice Farmers Yet To Refund Loans – Official

FILE PHOTO: Rice farm in Nigeria.

The Kano State Government has expressed concern over the refusal of rice farmers to refund over N900 million loans which were advanced to them under the Anchor Borrowers’ programme.

Prof Mahmoud Daneji, the Managing Director of the state Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KNARDA), made the complaint at a news conference in Kano on Monday.

The news conference was organised by Sasakawa Global 2000 to review the media field day, during which the team visited farmers in Kano, Jigawa and Gombe states, last week.

“I am not happy to say that some of our rice farmers that benefited from the CBN anchor borrowers’ programme are yet to refund over N900 million.

“A total of N906 million was disbursed to the farmers but regrettably, not up to N6 million was recovered from the money, as most of the farmers think that it is a national cake,’’ he said.

Daneji said the state had no fewer than 1, 800 extension agents that worked directly with farmers in the state.

“If the extension link is missing, then farmers or agriculture generally will not develop, hence the government’s decision to recruit more extension workers.’’

Daneji disclosed that the state had within the last one and a half years recruited 729 extension workers to support farmers across the 44 Local Government Areas of the state.

He said the decision to recruit the extension workers was borne out of the state government’s effort to boost agricultural production in the state.

“The current ratio of extension agents to farmers in the state is one extension worker to 300 farmers, while the United Nations recommendation is one extension worker to 250 farmers,’’ Daneji said.

He commended Sasakawa Global 2000 for training the 100 newly-recruited extension workers.

The KNARDA chief executive added that the state government had established five Farmer Information Centres which would soon be inaugurated.

In his remarks, the SG 2000 Country Director, Prof Sani Ahmed-Miko, said the visit to the farmers in the three states had afforded the team the opportunity to interact with farmers.

According to him, the visit had given journalists the opportunity to hear from the beneficiaries of the SG 2000 intervention programmes, especially on the improved production technologies that are being promoted.

Irked by the farmers attitude, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) recently constituted a committee to recover the loans from the defaulting farmers in the state.

The Anchor Borrowers’ Programme is an initiative of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), designed to assist farmers with loans to enable them to be able to procure farm inputs, to enhance their productivity.

Source: PM News

Katsina Govt To Train 8,000 Farmers

Aminu Masari, Katsina State governor

Katsina state government has concluded plans to train 8,000 farmers across the 34 local government areas of the state on the production of tomatoes.

Training, to be undertaken under the state Himma Project Agricultural Programme is in partnership with a private company called Agro Alala.

The chairman of the company, Mr Victor Bazugbe, made the disclosure on Sunday in Daura in an interview with NAN.

He said that the 10-year-programme, would involve the establishment of cottage industries in the 34 local government areas, adding that the farmers would be trained on extension services.

Bazugbe said his company would provide the farmers with the required inputs and guaranteed market for their products.

He added that the training would expose the farmers on modern farming techniques.

The chairman said the programme was aimed at employment generation and poverty eradication.

He stressed the need for the farmers registered for the programme to be committed to enable them reap the benefits.

Source: PM News

FADAMA III: 300 Youths, Women Undergo Training In Jigawa

FADAMA Project

The FADAMA III Project in Jigawa has trained 300 youths and women in agricultural entrepreneurship, as part of efforts to boost food production in the state.

The state Project Coordinator, Alhaji Aminu Isa, stated this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Monday.

Isa said that the beneficiaries received the training under the FADAMA’s Graduates Unemployed Youth and Women Support Scheme (GUYS).

He said they were trained on rice thrashing, poultry, fishery and other agricultural practices.

The coordinator stated the programme was being funded by the World Bank under FADAMA III Additional Financing (AF).

The project coordinator, who said 30 per cent of the beneficiaries were women, told NAN that 200 of the trainees would be assisted with grants to enable them set up their own agricultural ventures.

“Two hundred (200) of the beneficiaries, who prepare a feasible business plan, will be given grants to set up businesses.

“Their information and business plans have been sent to our national office in Abuja for consideration.

“The names of the remaining 100 graduates have also been sent to Abuja for linkages to financial institutions to enable them secure soft loans to start their businesses too,” Isa said.

He, therefore, urged them (beneficiaries) to set up their business outfits immediately the fund was given to them.

Source: PM News

Empowering youths for national development

By Dennis Erezi

Without doubt, the youth reflect the  positive and negative picture of any society. Their energies, inventiveness, characters and orientations define the pace of development and security of a nation. Through their creative talents and labour, a nation makes giant strides in economic development and socio-political attainments.

In all societies of the world, a virile youth is the bedrock on which national development is predicated. The youth are the backbone and the building blocks of any nation. It is a fact that the stronger the youth, the more developed a nation is. The role of the youth in the nation-building process cannot be overemphasized as countries that develop and utilize their youth in the right directions seem to be more developed. The energy and brightness of the minds of youth act as torch-bearer for a nation. There is a confirmed connection between the prosperity of a nation and its youth development system.

The late British politician and writer, Benjamin Disraeli, had rightly described ‘Youth of a Nation as the Trustees of Posterity’. It is in the reality of this that many nations have made concerted efforts in galvanizing integrated approach in putting in place youth development structures that have a very high propensity to be a catalyst for their national growth. On the contrary, the countries which fail to realize the importance of the youth lag behind in all aspects of life.

It is, therefore, in realization of the positive value that the youth could add to the growth and development of any society, that the United Nations set aside a week every August from the 12th day to celebrate the International Youth Day. First celebrated in August 2000, the primary objective is to draw public awareness to youth-related issues and values.

The 2017 edition of International Youth Day, with the theme, “Youth Building Peace”, was aimed at stressing the principal role expected of the youth in global peaceful coexistence among the people and the drive for positive change for development through the transformative and resourceful force of the youths, which has been identified by national leaders globally including Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari.

Any nation that denies its youth the necessary enabling environment to enthusiastically participate in nation building merely does so at its own perils. Nation-building is a dynamic process that calls for the participation of all segments of the society, including the often-overlooked and undermined youth population and youth resourcefulness that will provide invaluable speed for the progress of any society as well as its development.

As youth are brought into and connected with national issues and programmes, they can participate actively and contribute to decision making at multiple levels. As youths are engaged in more sustained positive relationships with adults, other youths, and national development programmes, apart from realising that they are valued citizens of their nations, such collaborations and participation may lead to skill enhancement, empowerments and confidence-building traits, which will help prepare them for active interest and involvement in nation building.

It is important to note that young people play a crucial role in the prospect for development and should be included in all National Development Plans and Programmes. But, the reality shows that attention to youth has not been sufficient and more needs to be done considering the practical implications of shifting perceptions of youth and the role they can play in the society. These conceptual issues relate to the barriers to effective youth participation in national development, such as lack of education, unemployment, extreme poverty, diverse illnesses and diseases, discrimination and cynicism from both adults and young people themselves about participation competence and institutional resistance.

In Nigeria, the greatest challenge confronting the youth today is unemployment which has become a great challenge to national security. Despite alleged success of various youth   empowerment programmes across the country, over 54% of Nigerian youths remain unemployed. The unemployment record in the country clearly portrays an increase in idle hands across the length and breadth of Nigeria. It is often said that an idle mind is the devil’s workshop, so an unemployed youth is a disaster waiting to happen. Activities of groups such as Boko-Haram, Niger Delta militants, Biafra agitators and recently, the Badoo group have serious implications for national security in the country. Sadly, some of these rebellious groups have youths at the forefront of their nefarious activities.

It is a known fact that youths possess a transformative force. They are creative, resourceful and enthusiastic agents of change. Therefore, the need for youth to be listened to and productively engaged cannot be over-emphasized in every context. Youths can determine whether this era moves towards a great peril or a more positive change. Let us support the young people of our world so they can grow into adults and a true platform for more powerful leaders of coming generations.

Unfortunately, in our clime, youth are not being given the needed platform to freely express themselves. Though they have always been touted as ‘future leaders’ since God knows when, our nation clearly needs a spiritual or physical veil remover for us to act the saying ‘the future is now’ for us to stop saying the potential leaders of tomorrow are too young to lead alongside other flimsy excuses.

Around the world, there is a growing recognition of the need to strengthen policies and investments involving young people.We need a properly marshaled policy aimed at harnessing the innate and budding potential of the youth. In Nigeria, the youth almost do not have a voice in the scheme of things. Unemployment, lack of opportunities, faulty educational system, repressive political system, dwindling economic fortunes, among others, are mostly responsible for the suppression of the voice of the youth in our dear nation.

However, it needs to be stressed that the Nigerian youth need to be more focused, creative and disciplined if they are to actually become real agents of change in the country. The Agric and ICT sectors, especially, represent areas where the youth could truly make enormous impact in the country, if only they could become more forward-looking.   

Erezi is an Industrial Attache with the Ministry of Information and Strategy, Alausa, Lagos

The trend of rural/urban migration by Nigerian youth has drastically reduced the capacity of agriculture sector to sustain the economy which has capacity to provide job for over 70% of the youth. Sadly, lots of youth idle away in cities rather than getting engaged in agriculture at the country side. Similarly, advancement in ICT presents numerous prospects for the youth to become creative, productive and prosperous.  Unfortunately, rather than exploit the positive and resourceful sides of ICT, some youths have turned it into a tool of defrauding and tricking unassuming individuals through the infamous “yahoo, yahoo ”  syndrome.    

   

On a final note, governments, NGOs, youths based organizations and other relevant stakeholders need to regularly enlighten and properly guide the country’s youth to imbibe the positive sides of life. Also, our education curriculum should be reviewed to reflect contemporary realities that would assist the youth to contribute meaningfully to national development.   

Source: Nigeria Today

$35 billion food importation into Africa

As important as food is to the family, nation and the African continent, how much commitment is there to its availability in sufficient quantities, and acceptable quality as well as at affordable prices? The recent experiences in Somalia and South Sudan where negative impacts of insufficient or total absence of food are manifest, speak loudly to the dire straits in which many African states are. That is why individuals and groups should make concerted and diligent efforts to ensure there is enough food on the table. A country unable to produce enough food to feed its population risks insecurity in various dimensions, especially as food is a major weapon of war and even re-colonisation. African nation states must strive for food security.

To avoid lack of food, countries that do not produce enough for their people, resort to food importation to fill gaps. When the gaps become huge as to substantially drain national resources that would have been used for other needs, great concerns are bound to be expressed. This is particularly germane when the importing country is believed to have what it takes to produce enough food internally without the embarrassment of importation.

Such it was that some African leaders who recently gathered to celebrate with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Oyo State, at its 50th anniversary reportedly expressed concerns at the continent’s annual importation of food worth USD35 billion. What ordinarily should have been an occasion for the clinking of glasses for the recorded achievements of IITA became a platform for some of the leaders present to bemoan Africa’s high level of food importation.

Aware that merely bemoaning the situation cannot solve the problem, they reportedly highlighted some of the measures to reverse it. The measures include increased investment in all aspects of agriculture by African countries, encouragement of the youth to be involved in agribusiness, partnering with institutions such as IITA in order to effectively deal with any challenges facing agriculture and agricultural production, increasing the quantity and quality of agricultural output, sustaining production of agricultural products, bridging the link between research and development, developing strategies for the engagement and support of women farmers especially in the areas of access to finance and land as well as other resource inputs. The leaders also emphasized the accruable benefits if the continent internally produces enough food for its 450 million people to include, prevention or overcoming food insecurity, creation of employment and wealth as well as assurance of sustainable agriculture production. In addition to these, it is essential to add improvement in human skills development, expansion of industrial production and markets, enhanced gross domestic products, prevention of socio-economic challenges that arise from food scarcity, conservation of foreign exchange, cheaper food prices and improvement in living standards of Africans.

Unfortunately, a few former heads of governments (General Yakubu Gowon and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria) and Matata Ponyo Mapon (former Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo), who proposed what could be done to check spending huge sums of money on importation of food into the continent, are no longer in office to implement or cause implementation of their propositions. Worst still, with the exception of the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh who represented the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo Nigeria’s state governments that parrot agriculture as their wining tool were absent at the occasion to share or draw experiences.

Nevertheless, hope for the future of investment in African agriculture was raised at the occasion by the incumbent President of African Development Bank (ADB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina who committed that, within the next ten (10) years, ADB would invest USD24 billion in agriculture business across Africa. If properly invested and managed, that sum should bring some improvement to the continent’s agric value chain which in turn, will aid reduction in food imports.

Governments and leaders in Africa (past and present) should know that if there is one thing the continent should not be found lacking in, it is food. It is shameful that, with the large arable fertile land, expansive body of waters and other enviable endowments, Africa cannot feed itself. That such a humongous amount of foreign exchange is being expended importing food is a serious minus for the leadership of the component countries in Africa.

Now, beyond food, if manufacturing and industrialisation could be made realities within the continent, the case for agriculture-the feeder of industries with raw materials, must be promoted as a necessity. Africa has come of age and its agricultural practices should be driven by research, mechanisation and modern technology to steer it away from remaining rudimentary.

Africa being a net-exporter of agricultural products should be the worthy vision of African governments and leaders. Of course, diligent planning, development of appropriate strategies, deployment of sufficient resources and unflinching commitment by the governments and the citizenry will be the game-changers for the realisation of multiple objectives of food security, industrialisation and foreign exchange earnings. Thus, African leaders should henceforth stop using agriculture as a mere propaganda tool. They should put their hands on the plough and never look back.

Credit: Guardian

Oyo, Ogun cassava farmers adopt mechanisation through CAMAP project

Farmers in Oyo demonstrating the use of machine to plant cassava, facilitated by AATF through CAMAP.

Farm mechanisation is one aspect of agriculture which has made agriculture easy, profitable and attractive to Nigerian farmers, especially the youths.

The conventional ways of farming which are manual, have not yielded much result as people especially youths have dumped  their hoes and cutlasses to seek white collar jobs, thereby leaving agriculture solely for the aged in the rural areas.

It is at this backdrop that the African Agriculture Technology Foundation (AATF), through one of its intervention schemes, Cassava Mechanisation and Agroprocessing Project (CAMAP) with the support of United Kingdom Agency for Technology Development (UKAID), deployed machines to assist farmers in the cassava value chain.

These machines will assist cassava farmers in harrowing, ploughing, planting and harvesting of cassava with ease.

During a field visit to Oyo State which is part of the states this project is being implemented, the Communication Office of AATF, Mr Umaru Abu revealed that the Foundation traveled across the world to look for machines that will ease the stress of cultivating cassava in Nigeria.

According to him “When we kick started this programme, we first of all went around the world to identify technologies that are easily adaptable to improve cassava production in Nigeria and also to address all the constraints in the cassava value chain, and that is what we have been able to achieve with CAMAP.

“After the search for technologies to improve cassava production, we settled with China and Brazil where we got the cassava planter which makes planting cassava easy.”

Abu explained that “before a farmer could be part of this programme, he must have a minimum of one hectare, and the farm should be about 5 kilometres away from where there is good network of roads because we are thinking of the harvest season where trucks will be coming in.”

Furthermore, the Country Coordinator of CAMAP, Mr Ayodele David further explained that the farmers who are preferred to be in a clusters will pay N47,000 which covers ploughing, harrowing, planting and spraying.

David also revealed that from calculation, it is expected that the farmer will get an income of about N400,000 per hectare following the good planting spacing of 0.8 metres and other agronomic practices.

His words: “With mechanisation, the yield of cassava is more than 20 per cent higher than manual. If a farmer was able to get 20 tonnes per hectare, and a tonne is sold for N26,000, and if a farmer is doing a full scale mechanisation for one hectare with us, he pays N47,000 (N14,000 for ploughing, N 11,000 for harrowing, N13,000 for planting and N9,000 for spraying).

“So if the farmer spends N47,000, buys his input (cassava stem), for one hectare, between 60-70 bundles are needed at N350 per bundle, a hectare of cassava planted with the machine gets about 12,500 stands of cassava. During harvest, each stand gets at least 2kg of cassava tubers.”

In Igunrin Village of Isenyin Local Government Area, a group of 15 young farmers called Path-P Agricultural Enterprises, cultivated 40 hectares of farm land with the assistance of AATF through the CAMAP programme.

These group of young farmers had in the past years ventured into other agricultural value chains without getting any tangible result, until they eventually adopted mechanisation in cassava farming.

The young farmers reportedly sold some of their belongings and leased the 40 hectares of land for N167,000 from the community, cleared the land and provided cassava stems. Then AATF provided the farm machines, fertiliser and chemicals.

According to the leader of the group, Abdulrazak  Abdulwaheed, “We leased 40 hectares of land from the community at the cost of N167,000 for one season. We bought axes and other implements to clear the land which took us two and half months and then AATF came in. After our agreement with them, they supplied us with inputs.

“We have seen maize planter but we have never seen cassava planter. When AATF told us that they will bring cassava planter and harrower, we didn’t believe it until it arrived our farm.

“When the machine was brought to our farm, AATF provided the operator of the machine to put us through on handle the machine. They enlightened us on farm mechanisation, they brought all the implements we needed in the farm, like tractor, harrower, plough, planter, boom sprayer, chemicals, 80 bags of fertilizer, and they also brought the money to buy fuel for the tractor.

Recounting their challenges, Abdulwaheed said “Land acquisition was one of our major challenges. There were controversies in acquiring this land, but after the intervention of the traditional ruler of the community, we were given the go ahead to farm on the land.”

Explaining further on the functions of the machines, Abu said “If you are using a two-row planter, you can planter one hectare in 45 minutes, but the manual planting takes about 22-man days to cover an hectare.

“The planter also applies fertiliser simultaneously as it is planting. We also identified a harvester which harvests an hectare in one hour 25 minutes. We started off in 2013 effectively, supporting farmers in Kwara, Osun, Ogun and Kogi 100 per cent. The primary aim is to ensure that mechanisation is adopted.”

This CAMAP programme is targeting 3.5 million farmers in five years, and the major objective of the project is to increase the income of farmers, and improve their standard of living.

In Ogun State, the CAMAP programme is supporting farmers to cultivate 65 hectares of cassava farm in Ayetoro cluster, Yewa North local government.

The Ayetoro cluster, according to Mr David, “is one of the clusters coordinated by IFAD and Value Chain Development Project (VCDP) which is being implemented in six states across the country. Ogun State is part of the benefiting states.”

Idowu Friday, leader of one of the groups in Ayetoro cluster, with about 25 persons in the group, said “We cultivated the 20 hectares last year through mechanisation. When we are using manual, we can cultivate about one to two hectares in about two weeks, but by using mechanisation, we were able to cultivate 20 hectares in a day.

“The profit margin has increased because when you cultivate with mechanisation, the yield increases due to proper spacing. We are expecting 30 tonnes per hectare, but before we adopted mechanisation, we were getting roughly 10 tonnes per hectare.”

Abu further noted that the target of CAMAP is to move away from the average six to eight tonnes per hectare to 45 tonnes per hectare.

However, he said “So far in Osun State we have achieved 35 tonnes per hectare. Currently, our average is 28 tonnes per hectare in all our areas of intervention.”

Explaining further, Abu said “the project also takes care of agronomic practice, so we ensure that the right agronomic practices must be done for us to be able to achieve what we are looking at. We supported them with fertilisers. We are working with the extension unit of all the states where we are working. We went into an agreement with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development during the last administration.

“As an organisation, we work through partnership. We identify the technologies, bring them to Sub Saharan Africa for them to be adopted. In the course of that, we build the capacity of the National Research Stations who don’t have the capacity to meet up with this modern technologies. We build their capacity both in human and infrastructure.”

On sustainability of the mechanisation project, Abu explained that AATF is in an agreement with the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM) to domesticate the technology, and currently, NCAM has been able to fabricate its own machines.

“We went into an agreement with National Centre for Agricultural Mechanization (NCAM). Part of the arrangement we had with the manufacturers of the machines was that they gave us the go ahead for us to domesticate the machines. So we trained NCAM, gave them one set of the machine with full compliment for them to uncouple and then learn through that process. Now they have been able to produce their own planter.

“We are also looking at the entrepreneurship aspect where we build individuals, especially youths and women who are our primary target such that they will access these machines and provide services within a given cluster farmers because mechanisation is very expensive. That is why we jump-started by supporting them for three years”, Abu added.

The plan of the project is that the first year, AATF provides the improved cassava stem, plough and harrow the farmer’s land, provide four bags of fertilisers, spray the farm, and more importantly, look for off-takers because before cultivation, there should be market.

AATF identified some people who use cassava for industrial purposes and went into an agreement with them. It is also expected that when the farmers harvest, 60 per cent of the stems will be given back to AATF to support other farmers.

This is the kind of project the government at all levels need to embark on to diversify the economy.

Source: Tribune