Olu Samuel, Lokoja

A diplomat and financial expert, Amb. Dr. Samuel Babatunde (aka Esanuaje), and the financial consultant to the Association of Local Governments, ALGON has enjoined Nigerian youths to embrace farming to generate significant income and improve their living standards.

Babatunde gave the advice while speaking to journalists on the sideline of the second day of the 2024 Orokere Day celebration held on Thursday at Orokere-Amuro in Mopamuro Local Government Area of Kogi State.

Babatunde implored the youths to shun all forms of social vices and embrace farming to reduce the current economic hardships in the country.

He stressed that youth engagement in farming would create job opportunities and help to alleviate poverty by providing a stable source of income and food sufficiency.

“We have food crisis in the country and I see serious engagement in farming as the only viable option out of the situation.

“I want to implore Nigerian youths to embrace farming because we have vast and fertile land that is suitable for agriculture.

“As I am talking to you now, I am a farmer because I personally have upto 12 hectares of rice farm in my village, and I am in Lokoja.

“So, the youth can take advantage of the fertile land and engage seriously in farming to develop and enhance their independence and self-sufficiency.

“Youth engagement in farming will also foster community involvement, peace, social responsibility and reduce all forms of social vices to the barest minimum.

“If our youth can take advantage of farming, they can become millionaires within a short term. As it is, foreign rice is about N130,000 per 50kg bag, while local rice is N100,000,” Babatunde said.

The financial expert also advised the government to urgently address the issues of insecurity especially the destruction of farmlands by herdsmen and the menace of kidnappings and banditry across the country.

He stressed that adequate security across the country would encourage the people to engage in farming activities which would enhance food security in the country.

In the same vein, Cdre Folusho Daniel rtd, a former Lawmaker, who represented Mopamuro constituency in Kogi Assembly, stressed the need for government to improve the youth condition through job creation and empowerment programmes.

“If we do not improve the condition of the youths, it is a problem because these are the leaders of tomorrow, and if you don’t empower them now, it means, we are not building them up.

“The youth empowerment should be everybody’s concerns, they must be properly engaged because that is the bane of insecurity that is all over the country.

“So, the youths must be employed or properly engaged,” Daniel said.