 |
|
r-l chairman of the occasion, Olakunle K. Bello watching as guest
speaker,
Dr. Adesina represented by Mrs. Ibukun Odusote being congratulated
by special adviser on regional integration, who represented Gov.
Babs Fashola,
after her address at Wilson
Badejo Foundation annual lecture 2013.
|
To change the increasing unemployment rate in the country, Nigerians must eat food produced locally, in order to create jobs for the youths whose figure has continued to grow, according to the Minister of Agriculture
and Rural Development Dr. Akinwumi Adesina.
Speaking
as a special guest at the annual lecture of Wilson Badejo Foundation in Lagos, entitled
‘Unlocking wealth for Nigerian farmers’ Adesina, who was represented at the
occasion by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, told NaijaAgroNet that for this to change
and add the creation of jobs for teeming youths in the country, Nigerians must
eat what is produced by local farmers.
“We must produce what we eat
and eat what we produce,” he declared.
Adesina also said at the
occasion chaired by Deacon Olatunji K. Bello of Multiplex Limited, that his mission
in the ministry of Agriculture is not to manage or maintain poverty in the
rural areas, but to create wealth, lamenting that millions of Nigerian farmers,
who for decades have toiled in hope but have been unable to get out of crushing
poverty traps, hence he sees agriculture as a tool for creating wealth for
millions of poor farmers.
He reiterated that creating
wealth is what is at the heart of a major revolution underway in agriculture in
Nigeria and in harnessing the power of the private sector, government needs
to get out of certain aspects of agriculture and turn this over to the private
sector in order to improve efficiency.
“We need to focus on
agricultural value chains and not just on increasing production,” he advised,
wondering what will happen to the increase if there are no markets and no agro
processing firms that will help mop up the increased yields?
Nigerian agriculture sector,
Adesina said, has potential, but no one can eat potential except if transformed
into food supply to deliver nutritious food and wealth to the growing
population.
To reverse this trend, Adesina
urged Nigerians to buy into the current government’s vision to make Nigeria an agriculturally
industrialized economy; to create wealth, jobs and markets for farmers, and
revive the rural economy.
“We plan to grow the size
of the agricultural sector from the present level of $99 billion per year today
to about $300 billion per year by 2030. We envision a Nigeria without oil. For
nobody drinks oil and nobody smokes gas,” he said.
The minister further
commended the leadership of Wilson Badejo Foundation (WBF) for sustained effort
in engaging the youths and offering them the opportunity to become better
enlightened and second chance to contribute to the society at large.
In her remarks, the
Executive Secretary, WBF, Dr. Mrs. Kenny Kemabonta, commended those who have
supported the foundation in past and urged for more support because the foundation
has identified more societal challenges to tackle including how to rehabilitate
the so-called ‘area boys’ who now have a kingdom of their own.
Key to achieving this, she
said, is more investment in youth’s development via educational scholarship,
which has risen over the years, even as the foundation needs more partnership.
So far, she said about 40
indigent students have been assisted with tuition fees for this year alone.
Welcoming guest to the
event, the chairman, Deacon Olatunji K. Bello of Multiplex Ltd shared his
experience on investing in agriculture, which created job for over 50 youths
and urged more Nigerians to invest in agriculture.
“I want to encourage us to
invest in agriculture to create more jobs, especially for the youths,” he said,
citing investment in trees for instance, Bello noted that yes, it may take a
while to grow, but it create jobs eventually.
Nigerian agriculture
graduates, he said, do have degrees, but not work experience, because there is
no place conducive enough for them to work, insisting that the youth must be
assisted if the Nigerian society must be a better one.
Remmy Nweke/
NaijaAgroNe
... Linking agrobiz, people & technology
