Stakeholders Urge FG To Boost Youth Inclusion In Agriculture, Calls For Urgent Reforms

Stakeholders in Nigeria’s agricultural sector have identified insecurity, low purchasing power and weak value chains as major challenges affecting food security, calling for urgent reforms and increased investment.

The concerns were raised during a panel session at the 9th edition of the Vanguard Economic Discourse held in Lagos on Wednesday.

The President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Muhammed Magaji Gattado, said insecurity has significantly reduced farming activities across the country.

“Insecurity has prevented our farmers from going to farms. The rate of production has reduced,” he said, urging the Federal Government to adopt proactive measures, including the establishment of a conflict prevention committee.

“In my state in Gombe, this has worked and we have reduced conflict between farmers and herders,” he added.

Representing the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, an official, Maruf Ajenifuja, said the government is implementing projects in partnership with states and seeking private sector participation.

“We are also inviting private sectors to come in and add to our efforts because funding through the national budget cannot cater for the needs of all Nigerians,” he said.

Ajenifuja also highlighted the need to increase youth participation in agriculture.

“In the last ten years, the inclusion of youths has not been encouraging… we want to tap into them and make them the backbone of the sector,” he said.

Founder of Kebram Farms Ltd, Kabir Ibrahim, argued that food availability is not the core problem, but affordability.

“There is food in Nigeria but most people cannot afford it… purchasing power is very low,” he said.

He called for optimisation across the agricultural value chain and greater accountability, stressing that the Federal Government alone cannot drive the sector.

“Agriculture is a rural vocation. The state should dedicate the total internally generated revenue to its agricultural sector,” he said.

Also speaking, Group Managing Director of Xtralarge Farms, Moji Davids, urged a shift from subsistence farming to agribusiness.

“We need to shift attention from farming as passion to farming as a business,” she said, warning of a potential global food crisis.

“I can boldly prophesy that there will be a global food challenge by 2028,” she added.

Davids also stressed the need for value addition and stable pricing structures, noting that inconsistent pricing affects both farmers and consumers.

Country Director of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Dede Ekoue, highlighted the importance of value chain development and youth engagement.

“By agriculture, we have farming, processing, access to market and consumption… youths can support processing, marketing and distribution,” she said.

Ekoue also advocated public-private partnerships to drive agricultural development.

“We can develop public-private production partnerships to solve our problems,” she said, adding that IFAD is already implementing youth-focused programmes in the Niger Delta.

The panelists collectively emphasised the need for coordinated efforts among government, private sector and other stakeholders to strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural sector and improve food security.