Editor’s note: Olajire Philip, the ZENITHBLOG.com partner blogger, explains how Federal Government could save $20bn annually through agricultural revolution.
He could be contacted via: oneolajire2000@yahoo.co.uk
More details in ZENITHBLOG.com’s step-by-step guide for guest bloggers.
1. Modern agriculture is a business of the educated people in developed nations. I mean people who can access information and provide innovative solutions for agricultural revolution. The government should equip our agricultural science students in order to own mechanised farms before and after graduation as this will yearly increase the number of professional farmers in a geometric progression. It is a waste turning out agriculture graduates who don’t eventually practise professional agriculture.
Two Nigerian girls working on rice farm
I have identified specific organisations -religious organisations which have massive investments in education, health, media and other socio-economic activities. They can equally be harnessed for job creation, especially in the agricultural sector. They are potentials waiting to be tapped for further exploits.
READ ALSO: How Buhari can solve unemployment problem in Nigeria
2. I am confident that if these organisations are properly harnessed, they are capable of providing investments worth over 100 billion naira in the agricultural sector over the next ten years. The major challenge is how to sensitize them so that they can do more in the economy.
3. We should encourage Nigerians in diaspora to invest in agriculture. Today, many state governments have association with Songhai Farms because of the giant strides Songhai has recorded in agriculture. A Nigerian named Rev Father Godfery Nzamujo, who once lived in the US, heard of the severe malnutrition in Nigeria, returned to Africa to establish a farm. The success story of Songhai Farm (www.songhai.com) is what we need to replicate in almost every local government area in Nigeria.
4. Research and educational institutions have to develop and commercialise abundant machines, chemicals and processes for the sector. Sustainability can never be achieved when all facilities needed for production are imported. Food exporting nations have understood the need for developing sophisticated technology locally as a panacea to abundant food production and this is what Nigeria must emulate. Government must be ready to adequately fund the academic and research institutes so that they’ll measure up to their responsibilities.
5. Tax holidays, import waivers and incentives for a specific time should be given to the new investors. Other investment friendly policies should also be made. Primitive agriculture- cutlass and hoe farming- must end. Political farming-practised by government and her agencies, in which they provide loans and farm imputes which never get to farmers must be eliminated as well.
We must understand that the criterion for acceptance of our agricultural produce in developed nations is when it meets their stipulated standards. We cannot afford to continue to depend on crude oil as the only foreign exchange earner.
Standards must be locally established while required government agencies must have well equipped laboratories to offer adequate monitoring. Measuring up to their standards means creating more avenues for exportation and foreign exchange.
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When the agricultural revolution dream is achieved, we’ll save over $20bn spent annually on importation of rice, sugar, vegetable oil, wheat, apple, fish and other agricultural products. Achieving this dream means a great reduction in unemployment, poverty and malnutrition.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial policy of ZENITHBLOG.com.
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