For many, agriculture
is a way of life, while for others; it is a business or an entrepreneurial
venture. Either way, it is a socio-economic activity that is as old as human
existence and which also affects all spheres of human life; starting from the
age of hunting and gathering which mainly consisted of crude methods of
farming, through to the agricultural revolution which has given birth to mechanized
farming as we have it today. Agriculture has been consistent in serving as a reliable
source of food supply, income generation, raw materials, employment, better
standard of living, social interaction and integration.
Agriculture is a
physical activity that requires the exertion of both mental and physical energy
that can only be supplied by the youth population. The youth have an indispensable
role to play in the various stages of the agricultural value chain; without
which, the potential embedded in agriculture cannot be maximized. This is
irrespective of the reality that mechanization, which is replacing human labor
with machinery, is the in-thing around the world especially in developed and
technologically advanced nations.
In developing nations
where mechanization in agriculture is yet to take its root and the physical
labor of the youth is in high demand; youth interest and participation in
agriculture is at its lowest ebb. In a country like Nigeria; where agriculture is
the highest contributor to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP, over 40% ),
it provides 88% of the nation’s non-oil earnings, and also the highest employer
of labor (two third of Nigeria’s labor force). One wonders why the youth are
non-challant about agriculture and the lucrative potential embedded in it. The
answer is not far-fetched.
Factors that quickly
come to mind as to why the gulf in-between the youth and their participation in
agriculture keeps widening, among many include: redirection of attention and investment
from agriculture to crude oil production in post-independence Nigeria, policy
summersault, unavailability of critical infrastructure, corruption and economic
pull towards white collar jobs. These factors have conspired in making
agriculture unattractive and unproductive, thereby building apathy among the
youth population towards it.
One begins to wonder
why a nation which foundation was built with the proceeds from agriculture
would turn its back on such a productive venture. With nostalgia, many are
quick to recall the days of the groundnuts pyramids, high production of cocoa
and oil palm plantation which were the major earner and the financial proceeds
judiciously used to put in place some of the monumental infrastructure that are
still in use till date.
This condemnable act of neglect was/is
perpetrated by no other generation than those who benefited the most from the
proceeds of agriculture. Agriculture or trading in its products directly or otherwise
provided the financial income that funded the education and up-keep of those
who ensured that agriculture is in a comatose state today.
Going back to the
issues that have pushed the youth farther away from engaging themselves in
agricultural activities; which if not address would perpetrate the status quo.
With the discovery of crude oil in Nigeria, and its high demand in the
international market, this had prompted subsequent governments to focus more on
crude oil production to the neglect and detriment of the agriculture sector.
This has manifestly reflected
in low budgetary allocations, incoherent or inconsistent policies, tedious
bureaucratic processes, corruption, sabotage (politicization of the process) and
lack of the political will to ensure diligent implementation of programs.
These factors have made
agriculture non-lucrative and unattractive to the youth. Over the years,
programs have been initiated and institutions established to boost agriculture
development; but they have largely failed due to the above mention man-induced challenges.
This include among many the Young Farmers Club, Green Revolution, Operation
Feed the Nation, People’s/Community Banks, Back to Land, Fadama program, Extension
services, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), and Agricultural Research
Institutions.
The failure of these
initiatives and institutions have widened the gap that has kept the youth away
from actively participating in agriculture; as a result of ineffective
agriculture education in schools, limited access to land and funding,
inadequate storage facilities, lack of or low quality fertilizer, non-existent
or ineffective extension services, lack of or dilapidated transportation
infrastructure, deficient rural development, lack of access to markets, importation
and near absence of mechanization.
The government alone
should not be blamed for the low interest by the youth in participating in
agricultural activities. The loss of important moral values such as that of
dignity of labor and hard-work which has resulted in get-rich quick mentality
without labor, laziness and the overwhelming thirst for white-collar jobs by
the youth is a flagging factor. These negative attitudes, coupled with the
perception and stereo-type that agriculture, due to the crude method being used
in Nigeria and other developing countries is a form of punishment, laborious activity
and dirty non-lucrative endeavor speaks to the abhorrent treatment by the
youths.
With the above factors
still waxing strong, the gulf in-between the youth and their participation in
agriculture would continue to expand while we would continue to lose out on the
benefits, which among many include: food security, nutrition, wealth creation
and employment generation.
Hope is not yet lost
though. This is so because of the initiatives and programs being implemented by
the current Minister of Agriculture under the Agriculture Transformation Agenda
(ATA). He has brought in innovative ideas that are beginning to make
agriculture attractive not only to the farmers but also the youth, private
sector, civil society organizations and development partners as a whole.
Worthy of commendation
is the activities of both national and international Non-Governmental
Organizations in promoting youth participation in agriculture. Ambassadors
Initiative for Development and Empowerment (AIDE) is championing and promoting
youth participation in agriculture through its Agric-entrepreneurship
development program as part of its Monthly Business Executive Break-Fast
Meeting for Young Entrepreneurs. Also, under the Global Partnership for Poverty
Reduction in Nigeria (GPPRN), being championed alongside its partners, it
projects to build Agric-model cities in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria,
in order to make agriculture more attractive to the youth.
The Y-Farm campaign as
anchored by Fresh and Young Brains Development Initiative (FBIN) is championing
the establishment of ten thousand youth-led farms in Africa, and the August 12th
yearly Africa Youth Agric. Festival.
The “Do Agric, It Pays”
Campaign by ONE.ORG is another significant effort that is worthy of
commendation, which also has its focus on promoting youth participation in
agriculture.
These are just a few
among many other efforts by Non-Governmental Organizations within and outside
Nigeria working hard to encourage young people to build passionate interest in actively
participating in agriculture for the purposes of food security, wealth creation
and employment generation. As laudable as these initiatives are, its greatest
impact can be maximized and sustained only if the key infrastructures that would
service the agricultural value chain are put in place by the government and are
functional and effective.
Yusuf Ishaku Goje
Programs Officer, Ambassadors
Initiative for Development & Empowerment (AIDE)
@YusufIshakuGoje
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