He learnt two vocations, after a failed attempt to go to school. The first did not yield much dividend, thus leading him to the second, which he said gave him the financial standing to train his children. Being a lover of education that eluded him, he ensured that his children were not denied that right. His father, who had four wives, did not believe in education. So when he finished his elementary education in 1971, the old man showed no enthusiasm to have him go for post-primary education. Perhaps believing that he could get the father to change his mind if he took the plunge to enroll in a school, he went to a modern school. That was, at the time, an intermediate school where students spent three years. However, he had to drop out after six months, when the father was not ready to pay his school fees.
Not willing to stay condemned to a village life and farming, he decided to leave for the city. From Ifaji, Odo Otin local government, in the present day Osun State, first he travelled to Kaduna, returned to hustle for the funds needed to equip himself for the practice of the skills learnt in Kaduna. But because he still did not get enough from his father, after serving him on the farm for two years, he left home once again. This time, he went first to Minna, capital of Niger State, then back to Kaduna before going to Lagos, the city-state that had always had the pull for most ambitious young men. Though his sojourn in Lagos is a sweet story of success, Sixty-seven-year-old Adegoke Olaniyan has since retired to the farms. Now that was not because of any disappointment, it is because, according to him, farming is now much easier than it was in his youth. In this interview with Johnson Oyeyemi, our special correspondent, Olaniyan went down memory lane in his journey through life.
What was your youth like?
From boyhood, it was farming. Parents normally mark farmland, which we will go and do after returning from school. I did this throughout my primary school days. Even no chance to go and spend a holiday with anyone anywhere. Early in the morning before going to school, we used to go and pick kola nuts from the nearby farm. I did this till I left for Kaduna.
Why or how did you decide to go to Kaduna?
I had a senior Sister who was married in 1969/early 1970 and living in Kaduna at that time. My sister had a child in 1971 and my mother had to go and assist her then. It was at that time that they discussed me coming to Kaduna to live with her and her family. I went there in January 1972 to learn a vocation in Kaduna.
What vocation did you learn?
Photography and I did this for two and half years.
Was that vocation adequate to feed you?
The vocation is adequate if you have assistance like having a studio setup with all necessary and basic equipment, such as Camera, Enlarger, flash, dryer and decorating light studio darkroom etc. But there was no money (and) no assistance from anywhere. I had to come back to my town from Kaduna and follow my father to the farm after 2/half years so that he could give me money for these equipment. I can remember when I was leaving, my father gave me 20 naira, after I had spent 6 months assisting him on his farm. I and one of my senior brothers went to Ibadan for the equipment but the money was not even enough to buy one camera. That was how hustling started to survive.
You now went back to Kaduna?
No, I went to Minna, Niger state, and later to Kaduna. From there, I came to Lagos. I worked at Lever Brothers Nigeria Limited for 6 months. Until when Niger state was created in 1976, I had to go back to Niger state till 1977 when I went back to Kaduna. It was at this time I put up a studio after gathering money here and there. But then time had gone by as all my customers that I ought to have started with had scattered and could not be seen anywhere. That’s how I was in Kaduna till 1978
You were a Photographer for some time in Kaduna, how did you then get to become a Bricklayer?
It was when I went back to Kaduna in 1978. Construction was booming then. There was massive development going on in the state then. The brother that I was living with was a Carpenter. He and his group used to go to various towns to work, such as Minna, Kano, Numan, Gongola. They always return with lots of money, and I used to see them counting this money. My own vocation (photography) was not going well. Then bricklaying was a job that one wants to associate with. So, I decided to learn bricklaying, which I started in January 1978
You seemed to have performed well on the bricklaying, why did you now change to farming again?
You know, something that is in you before and again the Yoruba have a saying that “Agbe l’oba” (Farmer is king). Though, I really give God the glory for what He assisted me to do Bricklaying vocation. It was there that I got married, had children, and trained them till university level, built houses, bought cars and successfully cared for the family. But farming had been in me as you know we were born and grew up doing it. Even when I was in the Northern states, I had a small farm, planting crops like yam, rice, and maize. Also, in Lagos here, I farm and it’s always helpful to the family. I still have some farm produce in my store now. There has never been a time that I didn’t farm once I had the opportunity and access to land.
Now, When did you decide to do farming fully, hope it is not how this country is today that made you finally decide to go full throttle on farming?
One thing is that the Bible says that he who does not work should not eat and it’s the hand of the labourer that will be made fat. Looking at the way the Country’s economy is, one cannot just fold one’s hands and sit down brooding on what to eat and not using the opportunity that is available to him. I am somebody that does not like to be idle and gossip about. So, it’s better for one to keep himself busy until God calls one back home. Again, age is no longer on my side. Energy is also no longer there as it used to when I was younger. Then, farming these days is easier now than what existed before. Once you have money, you can use Farm Equipment like Caterpillar, plougher etc. to clear your farm. You can use chemicals to weed your farm instead of using cutlass or hoes to weed. By the time you do this twice you will harvest your maize. So farming is easier now than before. These are what took me back to farming though not fully because there is not much financial power but at least I am doing the little God has given me the opportunity to do.
Since you have started the small one you are doing now, what’s your experience like?
If one can think well, one will be able to thank God. First, one should be up and doing. Then Farming is also a job that is very viable. It is not what or quantity that you put in the ground that will come out at the end, for example if you plant one corn, you can count 1000 corn on one maize. And You can harvest within 3 to 6 months and so are other types of farm products. Farming is a job that God loves and blessed so much. Where one is thinking of what to do in two to four months and blaming/complaining that the government is not doing this or that anyone that is serious, determined, and ready to farm must have started harvesting maize or cassava in his farm.
That means that the youth should not wait for the government to do anything.
Any youth that is waiting for white collar job these days does not know what he is doing. Then it’s not everyone that can do all these things but whoever can do them should not waste time at all. In school they taught us a poem thus “ apalara igunpa ni iye kan ” whatever you can do with your hand is always fruitful. How many people will the government give jobs to? It’s better for everyone to find what he/she can do with their hands. Even the Vice president Alhaji Kasheem Shettima said at the convocation ceremony of the University of Maiduguri that the graduates that have just passed out should not have it in mind to get appointments with the government, but they too should be able to start a business on their own. Youth of today, God should help them, only few that can think deep and do something with their wisdom. But those that can do something on their own, there are so many farm products that one can plant that is not too stressful. One may not start big but within 2,3 to 4 years things will improve. Somebody gave me story sometimes ago that one youth graduated from the university but couldn’t get job. He went to plant beans on a small piece of land. The money he realised when he harvested the beans was more that the annual salary of his classmate on a white-collar job. The more you can use yourself the more God will help you. An educated youth is bound to have more wisdom on how to use the knowledge gained in school than an illiterate.
People think that one needs a lot of money to start farming, like how much does one need to start farming business?
What is more important is for one to get a place to start. Farming is developing beyond the practice in the past. I have seen people that plant yam inside a sack in their backyard, vegetables, pepper, tomatoes, pawpaw etc. with various strategies. Above all it does not require so much money, anyone that has land in the village should go back to the village to farm. There is no witch that will pursue you there. Anyone with N50,000 can start a farming business, clear the bush, heaping and plus the little one he himself can do with his strength.
What is your advice to the government?
My advice to the government is to help farmers in the country. Provide land for interested graduates free of charge or with an affordable sum. Provide them with Agric loan, farm equipment such as tractor.
You said the government should provide land. Can we compare the current government programme to the ones put in place by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo administration in the defunct western region, when we had farm settlements?
God really used that man for the region at that time, I travelled well in the region, you see so many farm settlements scattered round the region. Rubber plantation, palm plantation with farmhouses. Of note is the fact that money made from these plantations was used to build Liberty stadium, cocoa house, Wema Board estate etc. So our current government can do something like this, instead of our dependence on oil money. Everybody wants to live in the city; we should do away with this mindset. There is no place you are that God does not share blessings. The more you do the more God gives and again the best thing is for one to have interest in farming.
Quotes:
- I can remember when I was leaving, my father gave me 20 naira, after I had spent 6 months assisting him on his farm. I and one of my senior brothers went to Ibadan for the equipment but the money was not even enough to buy one camera.
- When I was in the Northern states, I had a small farm, planting crops like yam, rice, and maize. Also, in Lagos here, I farm and it’s always helpful to the family. I still have some farm produce in my store now. There has never been a time that I didn’t farm once I had the opportunity and access to land.
- Farming these days is easier now than what existed before. Once you have money, you can use Farm Equipment like Caterpillar, plougher etc to clear your farm. You can use chemicals to weed your farm instead of using cutlass or hoes to weed. By the time you do this twice you will harvest your maize.
- My advice to the government is to help farmers in the country. Provide land for interested graduates free of charge or with an affordable sum. Provide them with Agric loan, farm equipment such as tractor.
