By Joy Itodo (Agric/Governance Correspondent)
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono, has tasked Nigerian youths to lead the revolution in the agricultural sector, saying that with a population of about 200 million Nigerians, of which 60% are youths, they need to be empowered in the drive towards achieving food sufficiency and also to boost the nation’s economy.
The Minister made this known during a working visit to the participants of the Naija Farmer Reality TV Show, at the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), in Apo, Abuja, on Friday 22nd January 2021. Alhaji Sabo Nanono said that the participants are being trained in the various Agricultural value chains and would be offered an initial capital to start Agribusiness.
Nanono stated that ‘’they will be role models to other young Nigerians as they will find it interesting to invest their time and energy in the agricultural sector’’.
The Minister emphasized that the TV Reality Show for young intended Farmers is in line with Mr. President’s pledge to lift Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years by creating more jobs, achieve food security and enhance economic growth in Nigeria.
In her remarks, the Director, Federal Department of Agriculture, Mrs. Karima Babangida said that the Programme which has been running for about 3- months now is a youth empowerment project intended to transform unemployed Nigerian youths to become Agribusiness Investors.
Mrs. Babangida stated that ‘’the participants have been trained in various value chains and other sub-sectors in the Agric sector and these youths will lead the modernization of Nigerian Farmers’’.
In his welcome address, the Chief Promoter of the Naija Farmer Reality TV Show, Dr. Chigbo Okoli, said that the Maiden Edition of the TV Reality Show included 20 Housemates selected from the Six Geo-Political Zones of the country.
He pointed out the participants would receive Seed Capital from the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and other financial institutions to establish Smallholder Agribusiness.
Responding on behalf of participants, Mr. Oludele Oluyemi pledged that the training embarked during the course of the reality show will be useful and assured that they would be role models towards inspiring other youth to invest in the Agric sector.
The 3-Month Reality show will formally come to a close on Sunday 24th January 2021. NNL.
