The population of Kogi state youths engaging in agriculture is on the decline, despite that agriculture is one of the major economic activities of Nigeria. Clearly, former President Muhammadu Buhari said everyone should return to the farm. And Tinubu campaign also stressed the locally produced staples which was well captured in his July 31 national broadcast.
Agriculture in Kogi state is mainly practiced by older people about 60 years of age. Though the young people constitute about 1.8million of the total population, yet they don’t find solace in Agro-economics business. however, agriculture is seen as an occupation that is meant for the uneducated, poor, rural and old people. Most of the youth prefer white collar jobs despite the vast number of unemployed youth.
This problem is exacerbated by migration from the rural to the urban area instead of seeking employments alternative in the agriculture sector especially value chain activities that will enhance food security and reduce the poverty level.
Findings made known the following challenges; dwindling budgetary allocation roughing from non-implementation of the 2003 Maputo declaration and Malabo comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (AADP) targeting minimum allocation of 10% of annual budget. Release of budgetary allocations to the sector do not meet up to effective development and performance is abysmal.8.5 billion was allocated to the sector in 2018 but only 363 millions accounting for 4% of the total budget released. Wider government between rural peasant. Where over 80% of the population is engaged in agriculture, policy-making and implementation do not favour them. In adequate information available to older farmers, corruption, inadequate extensive service, mutual distrust , poor management and others are some fundamental challenges in agricultural sector.
Comparatively, there are some critical reasons why youth disinterest agriculture. They are further discuss below: Youth perceive agriculture as a profession of intense labor, not profitable and unable to support their livelihood compared to the white-collar job offer. Young people think farmers as someone stuck in a village, whose daily routine is going to farm in the morning and come back in the evening. Farmers in their mind is so far even detached from civilized ones, wears barely no clothes and typically, person who lives less than a dollar a week.
Another reason is the drive towards industrialization; emphasis is placed more on oil, medicine, IT, engineer, neglecting and diminishing the importance of agriculture. Similarly, Kogi state agricultural farming is mostly hoe and matchetes; the use of crude implement as other mechanised farming that is capable of giving surplus products.
Likewise parent factor lead to disinterest in farming. Parents always encourage their children to study to become doctors, accountants, journalist, etc farming is seen as a poor man’s business. In the sane vein, school contribute to this indifference nature of youth toward agriculture. In school, agricultural activities is used as a punishment for offences committed which has made many hate agriculture from the onset.
Admission of students into the faculty of agriculture and food science is often by authorization, also student in the faculty of agriculture and food science are often treated as little or less important while their peers in management science, social science, law, medicine etc are appreciated and held with high esteem.
Moreso, youth in farming often complains that, agriculture is not attractive enough for them in terms of compensation and condition of service as compared to what other profession offers. And, the morale and level of education of professionals in agricultural field is low which discourage many young graduates who opt to change careers to their lucrative areas such as banking.
The financial aspect has to land extent discouraged youth from venture into farming. Loans are often siphoned or diverted by politicians who impersonate to laundry money meant for genuine farmers into their private accounts. Again, bank want quick returns of loan meant for agricultural projects. Therefore, instead of releasing of grant and loans to farmers, they lend out to non-agricultural sectors that would bring in quicker and more lucrative returns. And when there’s open door for it, the bureaucratic bottleneck and challenges posed by bank in obtaining loan is too difficult.
It is often shown that there’s lack of influence from successful people in agriculture. As it takes long to achieve success in the field of agriculture, many youth whose interest is to make quick money are discouraged and give up in the course of waiting for output.
To be proactively active and sensitive to the prospects and embedded fortune lying in the agriculture, we advice and recommend these:
The government of Kogi state should organize a conference for youth employment in agriculture, to know how many youth want to go into agriculture and how many are already in agriculture doing well.
What we need to do is to get more youth to go into agriculture, first as agriculture business. What politicians should be more concerned about is the opportunity it provide to feed their country and to provide employment for others. And the youth need to conceive the ideas of going to agriculture as to do business and make money, not as out of frustration or no choice.
If well administered, agriculture would be a better business as good as other business. This will help the country to know that, agriculture is not just about crop production and rearing of animals, but they can enter the industry anywhere along the value chain. Some will be off-taker from farms, some will be into processing, while others will be infusing agriculture produce into industry – plantains, flour, garri.
The whole chain of agriculture is so bold that, if youth are interested, they can do it. Government should work with us (youth) and support our efforts to provide youth facilities, they need a change of mindset.
In addition, a training center should be established where expert would train them in the necessary skills freely like the Songhai agriculture training center in Benin one-six months. When they have been trained, they should be organized to train other youth, who are also interested in agriculture. They should award those with best business ideas and push them to go ahead_ Directed by expertise with practical.
They should also provide incentive such as credit facilities for youth involved in agriculture production and processing. There should alongside be new innovation such as agro-based contest and exhibition/farms, to encourage already building agriculturist within the youth demography. This body should also advocate through the mass media that is relevant to the youth and the state entirely. There should be promotion of agriculture product; advertising their products features; (quality, importance, efficiency, benefits) which will enable the consumer to see and grab.
Inclusively, there should be placement in marketing as government connect with necessary organization, industries or manufacturer who need the product as raw materials.
Most importantly, the security of the state should be reinforced to keep the farmer safe as many would live in phobia of farmer-herdsman insurgency. If this is adequately taken into consideration, before 2024, Governor Yahaya Bello would be hailed all over the state and the state would be transformed and the youth will be living better than before. Why? Because, agriculture is important to the development of any state in Nigeria, this development can only be achieved if the youth are the successor of farming generation which is the future of food security in Kogi state and Nigeria.
– Suleiman Saadat Muhammed
Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba, Kogi State.
