The National Agricultural lands development authority (NALDA) has disclosed its plans to send 200 young Nigerians for capacity building on crop production and animal husbandry in Israel and Morocco.
Such a motive is part of the continuation of the National young farmer’s scheme (NYFS), a program that President Muhammadu Buhari flagged off some months ago. The programs are said to have assisted Nigeria in terms of food availability during the emergence of the covid-19 pandemic, if not the country would have gone to other nations to beg for food.
The National agricultural lands Development Authority (NALDA) disclosed that the aim is to make agriculture more attractive to youths in the country, as the training will equip them on modern agriculture and agribusiness, which will lead to massive food production for Nigerians and more exportation of food.
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They further disclosed that Israel and Morocco were chosen because they have expertise in greenhouse farming and animal husbandry. Youths will be drawn from the 36 States of the federation, and when they return to the country, they will begin to teach others what they have learned from the program
This is a very commendable initiative from the Buhari-led administration, as this will indeed help build a young generation of farmers that will use their expertise to drive Nigeria’s agricultural sector forward. Also, this initiative will change the ideology of a lot of youths, who have the belief that Agriculture is only done by peasants.
They will get to understand that agriculture is a very lucrative business which they will earn a lot of income from, as well as get adequate food supplies for not just personal consumption but also for the nation.
Such strategic training will also stir up interest among a lot of youths, and will also be a source of employment for those who are unemployed, which will automatically decrease the rate of unemployment in the country. It will also improve the food security in the country.
Currently, Nigeria is still characterized by high reliance on food imports. Due to food shortages in rural areas in the country, malnutrition is already widespread which has often increased the mortality rate in the country.
However, it is pertinent to note that food security is not simply having sufficient quantities of various staple foodstuffs, but it also entails access to the entire citizenry to these food items at very affordable prices.
Once this initiative is effectively carried out by the government to send 200 youths to Israel and Morocco for animal and agriculture, it will ensure food security in the country and attain self-sufficiency in food production.
Nonetheless, even if such an initiative is properly executed, yielding a lot of benefits, unless the government put strict strategic measures to guarantee the security of farmers on their farmlands and other security challenges, a food-secure nation will never emerge.
Once the issue of insecurity has been properly handled, with the expertise of the trained youths and many others, there would be sufficient food not just enough for the citizens of the country, but also the country will earn more revenue from the export of these agricultural commodities.