Experts Canvass Youth Involvement In Agriculture Tackles Food Insecurity

Experts Canvass Youth Involvement in Agriculture to Tackle Food Insecurity, encouraging young people to embrace agriculture with stakeholders ensuring that agriculture is prioritized.

A Professor of Agricultural Extension at the University of Ilorin and pioneer member of Children and Youth in Agriculture Programs (CYIAP), Oluwasegun Adekunle has said to completely tackle food insecurity, young people must be encouraged to embrace agriculture with stakeholders ensuring that agriculture is in the front burner and prioritized in the scheme of things.  Adekunle gave the advice at the opening of the 16th National Conference of Children and Youth in Agriculture (CYIAP) in collaboration with the School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology (SAAT) of the Federal University of Technology, Akure titled, Building Rural Children and Youth Capacity for 21st century Agriculture, held on Monday, June 5th, 2023. 

Adekunle, who described Agriculture as some sort of culture, said a culture can only survive by transmitting it to the younger and upcoming generation. He said in spite of its centrality, the younger ones have been losing interest in the vocational trainings and farming business, making it the exclusive preserve of the aged and dying generations. He said to tackle food insecurity; deliberate steps must be taken to ensure that the young ones see agriculture as a venture that can become a lifelong business enterprise.  

He said the young ones can only embrace agriculture and see themselves as potential replacements for old and dying farmers if they see a prosperous future in it. According to him, it’s part of the initiative to stem the declining interest of young people in agriculture   that CYIAP-network came into being. He said it  operates  with a mission to propagate a deliberate but skillful sensitization, orientation, education and socialization programs aimed at giving capacity, authority and power to children and youth so that they can have a rewarding and brighter future in the sector. 

Speaking earlier the Vice Chancellor, FUTA, Professor Adenike Oladiji ,represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, Professor Taiwo Amos commended the collaboration between CYIAP and SAAT, especially in the stimulation  of interest of youth in agriculture . Professor Oladiji said time has come for all to embrace the back to land policy adding that a fully Agrarian State will most very unlikely run out of food supplies. She encouraged and urged the youth who still have the strength to endeavor to combine Agriculture with academics.

The Dean SAAT, Professor Oluwatoyin Osundahunsi said children are not just the future of Agriculture but also the present, stating that their involvement and active participation are essential for sustainable Agricultural development. She said investments in educational programs that promote inter disciplinary learning in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) with Agriculture is very paramount. She noted that she is very confident that discussions and deliberations will generate new ideas, strategies and collaborations.

In a welcome address the Chairman, Local Organizing Committee (LOC), FUTA/CYIAP 2023, Professor Oluwatosin Fasina said Agriculture is the backbone of the nation’s economy and it plays a vital role in ensuring food security, economic growth, and sustainable development. According to him the programme aims to foster creativity and encourage collaboration. He thanked the management for its usual support toward the growth and development of the institution.

In one of the lectures delivered by the Hon Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry, Ondo State, Mr. Olatayo Aribo represented by Director, Agriculture and Forestry, Mr. Omolakin Anthony, titled International Research and Development Network of Children and Youth in Agriculture Programs said Ondo State is  endowed with favorable ecological and climate condition that support cultivation of large varieties of crops. He said the population provides a readily available domestic market and streams, rivers, flood plans that can be harnessed for irrigational practices with a long coast line that can support fishing activities.

He noted that with the dwindling oil revenue witnessed globally, it has become imperative to make strategic development in critical sector of Agriculture. He said the state government has helped in provision of jobs by massive participation of youth in special intervention schemes such as Nigeria Covid-19 action recovery and economic stimulus and also an improvement in family enterprise in the Niger Delta States and facilitation and registration of youth to form cooperatives.

Speaking relatedly, Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Ondo State, Comrade Tajudeen Balogun, itemized the challenges in practical Agriculture to inability to identify areas where practical skills are to be developed, gross inefficient practices of Agriculture in secondary schools, deficiencies in practical Agriculture among secondary schools, among others.

Participants at the program include some secondary and primary school students and pupil within Ondo State.

MySchoolNews reporting.