Every policy decision and implementation, since the advent of the
administration of President Bola Tinubu last year May, point to the fact that
there will be massive production of food in Nigeria in 2024. What that
suggests is that the projection that over 26 million people risk living in
hunger this year may be defeated by this concerted effort. First, the federal
government decided to choose not less that 26 states where crucial food
crops, like wheat, maize, millet, yams and sorghum, are produced in the
country and gave support to farmers in farm inputs and provision of
irrigation materials. The initiative was to ensure that the country would not
have to wait till the raining season before we produce foods. Then it
mobilized relevant agencies to train and support farmers in the provision of
improved seedlings and materials for harvest. Just as people assumed that
the next thing would be to fold arms and wait for harvest time, there are
reports of further official supports to farmers.
The latest is the intervention of the National Directorate of Employment
(NDE), a body set up to assist young Nigerians to be self-sufficient, which
decided to wade in by coming to the aide of the youth population in
agriculture. The intervention is a further effort to ensure food sustainability
in Nigeria. The directorate decided to disburse N50,000 loan to 48
graduates of Post Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme
and flagged off orientation programme. The exercise entails the training of
700 unemployed youths under the Rural Employment Promotion
Department (REP), which has been kicked off in Taraba state.
The exercise was done by Mallam Abubakar Nuhu Fikpo, Director-General
of the NDE at an event held at Camp Lavet Hotel, Jalingo. He said that the
essence of the programme is to assist unemployed youths to boost
agriculture business.
Fikpo was represented by Alhaji Danjuma Shehu, Taraba State coordinator
of the agency, at the flag-off of the initiative. He told the trainees that
facilities have been provided in 14 states of the federation and FCT that will
enable the trainees start up or enhance their off-farm agribusiness in their
areas of choice.
He explained that agriculture is the bedrock of the economy of the nation,
adding that aside from providing food and raw materials, agriculture is an
avenue for generating employment opportunities to a very large percentage
of the population.
He said beneficiaries have been given the grace to repay the loans over a
period of two years. With that period of grace, he expressed the belief that
with the right mindset towards government interventions it would not be
difficult for them to become self-sufficient.
