Youth across the country has been urged to tap into a trillion dollar agro value chain opportunities to curb harvest waste, generate income and keep the environment clean as an ultimate agenda in line with the sustainable development goals.
Agronature Nigeria in a report, said, the Assistant Director, Environment and Climate Change Unit of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Cyril Bikom stated this during the panel session at the event organised by Impacting Rural Communities In Nigeria (IRUCIN) foundation in partnership with other stakeholders in Abuja on Friday, saying Nigeria youths have a lots of potentials to explore due to reasons that over the years, Nigeria has achieved less in crops exportation.
“Over $1trillion agro value chain opportunities are still there for youths and investors to explore to cub harvest waste, generates income and keep the environment clean as an ultimate agenda in line with the sustainable development goals”
“Crop like cassava is a climate resilient crop and has over 400 million US Dollar investment potential in agricultural value chain,” he said.
According to the founder of IRUCIN Foundation, Ahunna Durugbo, the agricultural sector contributes greatly to the countryʼs Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and has a growing need to embrace the fourth industrial revolution leading to smart-agriculture.
She therefore called for a joint effort across levels of governments, public and private sector and individuals to tackle some of the challenges bedevilling the sector. “In commemoration with the world environment day, this event has been organized to address the need to drive climate action and agro-industrialization for socio-economic growth by leveraging on the skills, talents and initiatives of innovative volunteers.”
The UN Environment Regional Climate Change Coordinator, Dr Richard Munang, says Africa is capable of addressing its numerous problems and also mitigate climate change impacts through innovative volunteerism.
Munang stressed that such model could foster greater actions and create wealth among youths especially in the agricultural value chains.
It was themed: “Driving Climate Action and Agro-Industrialisation for Youth Wealth Creation through Innovative Volunteerism”.
The event had in attendance representatives from related Ministries, Departments and Agencies both Federal and States.
Munang, during his remarks said regardless of anything, it is a popular claim, almost universal view that Africa is associated with problems, be it food insecurity, hunger, child mortality, insufficient energy among others.
