Make Agriculture Glamorous Like Music To Lure Youths Into Farming, Obasanjo Tells Govt

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on the government at all levels to make agriculture glamorous for Nigerian youths, just like the music industry.

Obasanjo, who described agriculture as the only sure sector that can end unemployment in the country, said Nigerian youths are running away from farming because it is not as glamorous as the music industry, where they make quick money.

Speaking at the 9th International Trade Exhibition & Conference on Agrofood, Plastics, Printing, and Packaging in Lagos on Tuesday, Obasanjo attributed unemployment as the major challenge fueling the rising spate of banditry and kidnappings in Nigeria.

He said, “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 need 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 makes agribusiness important.”

Obasanjo noted that one of the most potent means of curbing youth emigration, unemployment, and insecurity is to get more young people to embrace agriculture.

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.