IT is no news that governments over the years have canvassed the need for Nigerian youths to engage in agriculture in order to develop the nation.
Indeed, recently, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) directorate indicated that those participating in the scheme would now be sent to the farms in order to deploy their expertise into achieving food security.
In my view, one thing that governments have failed to do over the years is to make agriculture attractive to the nation’s youths.
If the nation is really desirous of having a generation of youths fully attuned to the agricultural dream, then what stops the government from providing incentives to them, for instance through scholarships?
What stops the government from making interest-free loans available to youths with viable entrepreneurship plans in agriculture? What stops the government from engaging in public private partnerships driven by the youths to make agriculture thrive?
The Federal Government, the 36 state governments and even the 774 local governments in the country should carefully consider this proposal.
- Oluwafunke Ibrahim
Ibadan, Oyo State.
and then