AGRICULTURE AND ITS RISE: CREATING A BETTER FUTURE

By: Muideen Gold

It can be undoubtedly disheartening if thought and said; the fact that farming has lost its decisive stand in our country, most particularly, in the Southwest Region.

The above-stated is owing to the need for a restructured administration of policies that concern the ministry by governments globally. Agriculture serves its gainful benefits of eradicating poverty and reducing the high rate of unemployment.

If the government can tackle food insecurity, rapid development will be massively achieved in our society.

In the era of the Late Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo, all the developmental projects were successfully executed with Agricultural resources.

The first television in Africa, (WNTV), the UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN, COCOA HOUSE, and free education in the old Western region was done with the help of Agriculture.

The reason why governments need to reintroduce mechanized farming for the youths is to enhance the motivation of farmers, and in turn, bolster farming activities.

The tilling of lands is very hard if there are no modern tools for farming, instead of many graduates roaming around the streets, and many are engaged in internet frauds; riding motorcycles for commercial purposes (okada). It is, therefore, significant enough for governments to restructure the agricultural sector and cause the youths to be gainfully employed which in its way, will curtail juvenile delinquencies, crimes, and societal-related vices. 

The foundational motivation for agriculture is the fact that many lands are blessed with fertile soils, for example, Nigeria, irrespective of its diversified regions.  

It is, hence, recommendable that the government or governments at all levels and individuals, revise the need for the revival of farming which will boost their internally generated revenues.

Nigeria as a case study requires solutions to the financial instability in its economic system, hence, the diversification of our economy from the oil to the agriculture sector becomes the best solution to conquer financial challenges.

For a crime-free society, in Nigeria, private organizations need to support the government in boosting our food production which will help us to increase our GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP) by supplying all modern tools that are required to promote Agricultural sectors and also to make farming look more attractive for the youths instead of roaming around the street.

 

In conclusion, for our nation to experience rapid development in the agricultural sector, it must be considered as one of the top most priority as it was historically done during the military regime of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (rtd) in 1976 which he tagged "OPERATION FEED THE NATION" and "GREEN REVOLUTION" of General Yakubu Gowon respectively. 

If this step can be taken and looked keenly into, our country will feed all the nations in West Africa, if not Africa at large.

#Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu #Seyi Makinde #Federal Ministry of Agriculture #Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture $House of Representatives, Federal Republic of Nigeria #Oyo State House of Assembly