The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono has tasked the Nigerian Youths to be the driver the Nigeria Agricultural revolution, saying with 70 per cent of country’s population being youth, there is hope of a greater Nigeria.
The Minister gave the charge while receiving a delegation of The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Youth Entrepreneurs (NYE), led by its National Chairman, Alhaji Muhammad Adamu Muhammad in his office in Abuja last Thursday.
Nanono in a statement sign by Ezeaja Ikemefuna, for the director, Information, Ministry of agriculture and rural development, noted that the challenge of feeding the growing population and creating a robust economy, food security and job creation would be a mirage without the youth being fully involved in the Mechanization of the Agricultural sector.
He observed that, “there are three fundamental issues in the Agric sector on which the desired transformation can become a reality, namely; Mechanization, Research for Good Seeds and Effective Extension Workers’’.
The Minister tasked the youth to drive the Mechanization process, ‘’ the youth should drive the new agricultural mechanization process in Nigeria, because the future belongs to them, therefore you must be focus and ambitious to achieve this great objective’’.
He informed that the federal government under the leadership of President Muhammad Buhari has put in place a 4 year Agricultural Mechanization Programme for Nigerians and that the Ministry I’d determined to vigorously pursue it.
Earlier in his address, the President of NYE, Alhaji Muhammad Adamu Muhammad informed that the NACCIMA Youth Council is a vibrant and empowered council that enhances youth empowerment for self-actualization nationwide. The council educates and trains youths with the knowledge and skills of business and entrepreneurship, to equip them for effective participation in sustainable national development’’
Muhammad further said that ‘’ the youth contributions in all spheres of life are enormous; we are the engine room of our present and future economy and shall continue to provide economic growth and development through our active participation and engagement in the socio-economic activities of our dear country.”
The delegation included Youth Entrepreneurs in Agriculture, Industry and ICT.
