Nigeria’s: Erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo yelled that the current Administration at all levels to make Agriculture enviable for Nigerian youths just like the music industry

By Abdul Rahman Bangura-

NEW AFRICA DAILY NEWS (NADN) Freetown, Sierra Leone– The retire President emphasized on agriculture as the only bet in the sector, that could curb unemployment in Nigeria, stated Nigerian youths are running away from farming because it is not as thrillingly thrilling as the music industry, where they make quick money.

Addressing at the 9th International Trade Exhibition & Conference on Agrofood, Plastics, Printing, and Packaging in Lagos on Tuesday, Obasanjo nod that, unemployment as the I’ll the fueling the rising spate of banditry and kidnappings in Nigeria.

He noted “First is employment, with our teeming population and the problem we have with our youths going over the desert and risking their lives at the Mediterranean will stop. What can we do to give them enough employment at home?

“The area that is sure to provide employment for our teeming youth population is agriculture. When you talk about agriculture, not many of them will want to come to the farm, they will rather go into the music that they do now.

“We have to make agriculture glamorous because these youths, they make money that way (through music), and then you are asking them to come to the farm. They won’t want to,” he said.

The former president, who described himself as ‘a mad man for agriculture,’ said there was a desire to promote agribusiness for food security, nutrition security, employment, wealth creation, poverty elimination, and income generation, particularly, foreign exchange.

He said, “Of course, if we are able to achieve this, it will improve our security. Part of our insecurity are men and women that are not properly engaged.

“If we are able to give them employment, there will be less of them getting involved in banditry, in kidnapping, and in doing various other criminal activities that they get involved in,” he added.

He noted that the drive toward food security in the country must encapsulate food availability, affordability, and accessibility.

Obasanjo said, “A friend of mine said to me, you must be a madman.

I asked him what he meant, and he said if I was not a mad man I would not have gone into agriculture. So, I am a madman for agriculture.

When it has to do with agriculture, you can be sure that when you call me, I will answer.

“Food security starts with availability. We must be able to produce enough. Then there is affordability. We must be able to get everybody who needs food to be able to get the food that they need.

Then there is accessibility. We must get food to where it is needed.

“Almost 40 percent of our food go to waste after cultivation. So, food security and nutrition security make agribusiness important.”

He lamented that Nigerian youths often prefer to explore opportunities in the entertainment industry, which underscores the need to make agriculture more glamorous.

The former president also called on policymakers at all levels to ensure policy consistency that would allow farmers to set short and long-term targets without worrying about possible policy somersaults that may topple their plans.

Obasanjo said a key part of this involves making single-digit loans available to farmers, as no agribusiness can produce profitably with
double-digit loans.

For New Africa Daily News Abdul Rahman Bangura Reports, Africa Correspondent