ALIYU HAYATU
U14MM1023
According to United Nation’s General Assembly, “Youth are the persons falling between the ages of 15 and 24 years inclusive”. The annual increase in the rate of youth unemployment in Nigeria is so appalling. Hundreds of thousands of graduates are produced every year into the labour market where there is little or no market. As a result, the economy suffers for it. More products are consumed, yet less is produced.
Youths are the primary productive human resource of socio-economic development. It is, therefore, essential to identify the roles of youth in mainstream development. Nigerian youth are diverse in ethnicity, religion, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Such diversity necessitates customized initiatives to meet needs and activate their untapped potentials. If about 21.5% unemployed youths are gainfully involved in agriculture, there would be a rapid growth in the nation’s economy. Every youth has a role to play in any segment of agricultural/ food value chain.
“Youth involvement in Agribusiness is a way to RESCUE dwindling Nigerian ECONOMY.”
Government should focus on making agriculture more attractive and rewarding to the young generation. Agriculture continues to be at the mercy of season and markets. It is imperative for the nation to produce food not only for about 182 million people, but also for animals.
YOUTHS PLAY IMPORTANT ROLE AT EVERY SEGMENTS OF AGRICULTURAL VALUE CHAIN (VC)
Agricultural value chain is very complex as it involves so many definite and indefinite key players. But for easy understanding, the chart below summarises VC into five (5) major segments: Agricultural input supply; Farm production; Post-harvest handling; Processing; Marketing.
Youth have place and role to play along VC. At each VC segment, contributions are made to food security, improved livelihood, income generation, and economic diversification and growth.
At the agricultural input supply level, youths can engage by supplying inputs in respect of agricultural practices of choice. For example, crop production inputs: seeds, buds, seedlings, chemicals, tools/equipment and machines; poultry production inputs: pen pages, feeders, water systems, feeds, chemicals and vaccines, crates; aquaculture inputs: culturing and holding tanks, water testing and treatment kits, fish seeds, fish feeds, weighing scales, harvesting nets, drugs and vaccines; to mention a few. All these inputs are most important to the success of agricultural production. Therefore, there are demands for them; opportunity is available.
Youth can also engage in agricultural productions, both consumables (foods – plant and animal production) and non-consumables (such as rubber, cottons). Areas that can be explore include, but not limited to: crop productions – maize, rice, beans, wheat, vegetables (green vegetables, tomatoes, pepper, onions, cabbage, cucumber, carrots, garden eggs etc.), yam, sweet potatoes and cassava ; tree crop plantations – palm tree, banana/plantain cocoa, rubber, coffee; animal productions – fish, poultry, piggery, ranching, snails, etc.
Post-harvest operations are not left out. Every agricultural production requires mindful post-harvest operations in which youths can take advantage of: operation of modern harvesting facilities, goods transportation services, food processing and reservation services, etc. Moreover, youth can engage in processing of agricultural produce such as Corn meals, milk, yoghurt, cassava/yam flours, garri, tomatoes paste, vegetables, smoked/dry fish, minced/dry meats, rubber, cotton, coffee, tea, pastas, etc.
Furthermore, there are enough opportunities for youth who are yet to find a place in production and processing to plug onto marketing, the final segment of agricultural value chain. Marketing of agricultural produce and products entails buying, selling of products at wholesale (large) or retail (small) quantities. It also involves advertisement and delivery services.
Youth involvement at any AGRIC VC segment creates/increases Earnings, resulting into Better livelihood.
“Youth Involvement in AGRIC VC segment improves ECONOMY”
In a scenario whereby 5% of estimated 39.1 million unemployed youths are into Agriculture and each person is to produce food/ render services to just one individual every day, in 46 days, a pull of the youth would have fed 50% of 182 million people. In reality, every production takes care of more than one mouth and even the producers would produce more to optimise profit and increase earnings. This gives a ripple effect on the economy by increasing income/earnings, safe lives or ensure adequate nutrition, enhance food sufficiency, security, boost foreign exchange earnings and increase agriculture share to GDP; resulting into national economic growth and development.
Youth in agriculture: open more doors for job creation from food producer that requires services of input supplier, processor and marketer, and even management staffs- ensures poverty alleviation and reduce hunger; and finally reduce crime rate among youths.
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