‘Invest in Agricultural Sector to Attract Active Youth Participation’

Gilbert Ekugbe

The Chief Executive Officer, the Global Macron Pace Limited, Mr. John Oriazowan, has urged the federal government to prioritise investment in the nation’s agricultural sector in order to win the active participation of youths into the sector.

Oriazowan said that youths are not motivated enough to venture into agriculture due to the poor state of infrastructure, poor storage facilities and bad road network.

He said that this has resulted in massive rural-urban migration of youths as they no longer see any hope in subsistence farming.

He also urged the federal government and the stakeholders in the agro-allied business to invest in the sector in order to boost food production post COVID-19.

The CEO added that agro allied business is very profitable and is yet to be fully tapped by several stakeholders in Nigeria, saying that the sector has great potentials for investors.

Oriazowan noted that the agricultural sector has the capability to employ about 70 per cent of the Nigerian labour force if the government and private sector invest massively in the sector.

He said government needs to address the concerns of investors in the sector to encourage more Nigerians that are interested in agriculture.

“The agricultural business in Nigeria is yet to be tapped. If it is well tapped, the agricultural sector has the capability to employ about 70 per cent of the Nigerian labour force. As you can see, youth no longer wants to stay in the rural areas because of lack of infrastructure, poor storage facilities of harvested crops and bad roads to transporting of harvested farm produce.

“If the government can continue with the way they have started paying attention to agriculture and creating the enabling environment, I see this sector employing about 70 per cent of our country’s labour force. We have had several challenges like the increasing pressures from herdsmen attack farmers, kidnapping, bad roads, poor governmental responses, poor implementation of governmental policies, high cost of farming, high cost of processing equipment, lack of power supply, access to loans with collateral and illiteracy of most farmers which makes it hard to implement modern farming methods,” he said.

According to him, the government is beginning to address some of the issues bedeviling the sector, saying that farming equipment such as tractors imported by the government for farm use now have service stations for repair and parts replacement.

He noted that farmers can now access loans at an interest rate of single-digit.

“Our researchers and institutions are beginning to create more awareness on best global farming practices and hybrid seedling importation is also been imported,” he said.

Oriazowan, said that his company was registered as a private limited liability company with the aim of exploring different agricultural ways of increasing capacity utilisation, overall contribution to the development of farm produce.

He said the company is also interested in agricultural wastage reduction and the development of an agro-allied value chain.

“I am particular about issues revolving around me and growing up with a family that understands what it takes to care for each other. These are the reasons that made me join the lions club international about seven years ago. I have served in different capacities such as the immediate past club president and recently the zone chairperson,” he said.