By Jeleel Olawale
The Former Head of Department, Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Prof Adeolu Ayanwale, has tasked youths on promoting agriculture through technology.
Ayanwale gave the task during Training/Capacity Building Workshop on “Scaling-up Lifelong learning for Farmers (L3F) in Nigeria” sponsored by the Commonwealth of Learning, in conjunction with OAU and ARMTI, on Saturday, in Ile-Ife.
Ayanwale said that the lifelong learning workshop was organised for the farmers to update and upgrade them, because learning is a continuous exercise and this would assist them to master the environment they are operating.
“Anyone who stops to learn is dead whether at twenty or eighty, but whosoever keeps learning stays young, adding that the greatest thing in life is to keep ones mind young”.
He added that quite a number of youths are out of school, dwelling in urban areas, mostly unemployment, but not interested in farming despite a lot of potentials in the farm.
The convener explained that lifelong training would help the youths to use their phone, ICT tools such as small messages to draw the attention of their colleagues at the urban areas to agricultural activities which would arouse their interest back to farm thereby gainfully employed.
“There are a lot of potentials in using lifelong farming for farmers to ensure their inclusion, the youths, the women can be included in agricultural programmes of the government. We can also improve their productivity, output per unit area, such that at the end of the day the main aim of sustainability development goals would be achieved.
“Especially no poverty, leaving no one behind and there’s no hunger among others, all these would be achieved by using lifelong farming for farmers”.
According to him, the workshop was meant for Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), so as to serve as catalyst to encourage others.
He advised farmers to take interest in lifelong learning so that at the end of the day, everyone will be highly benefitted.
Earlier, the Head of Department of Agricultural Economics, OAU, Prof Adebayo Akinola, welcomed all the participants to the programme and commended the organisers of the programme.
Akinola said that the programme came at the appropriate time and was designed to bring together farmers, learning institutions, banks and information and communication technology providers to facilitate learning for development in the rural area.
According to him, the workshop would empower vulnerable farmers and their families to gain knowledge on skill development, increase their productivity, food security and would liberate agricultural communities from socio-economic constraints.
He assured the participants that lifelong learning for farmers would improve their incomes through quality produce and would increase their livelihood and eradicate poverty at the rural area.
“This makes it an inevitable tool for rural community development and a means for the achievement of Millennium Development Goals of eradicating hunger and poverty”, he stated.
Also, the Executive Director, ARMTI, Dr Olufemi Oladunni, who delivered lecture on: “Gender-responsive strategies for attainment of SDG”, expressed that discrimination among the gender especially women farmers should be avoided.
Oladunni, who was represented by their Faculty member, who doubles as trainer, Dr Adeola Aremu, suggested that the same opportunity should be given to both gender so as to achieve the sustainable Development Goals.
He called for women participation in decision making, empowerment and capacity building, financial assistance, security and transformation information among others should be part of gender-responsive strategies for attainment of SDG.
Oladunni added that the workshop would dispense information resulting from agricultural research and development to the targeted farmers in rural areas where most needed.
A lecturer at the Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Development, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Prof Olanike Deji, spoke on” Role of Institutions towards achieving the SDG of Food Security”
Deji explained that government should work towards achieving zero hunger and food security as part of SDG 2, adding that Institutions have a role to play to achieve the goals.
According to her, Agriculture in Nigeria is sub-existence, for majority of the workforce are at the small scale level whereby they cultivate crops for their family use alone.
The don said that majority of small scale farmers are major stakeholders which dwell in rural communities and due to the vital role played must be carried along and be target of every policy.
“The three major workforce in agriculture that must be important target of every programme are: small scale family farmers, community rural women farmers and the youths.
“These three workforce are germane to achieve food security, they are major force in agriculture and agriculture value chain, they are the one that take farm produce from level of production to the table of consumers.
“They are the majority of actors, but unfortunately, especially women, are at the disadvantaged end, when it comes to access to resources, capacity building, recognition of their efforts, women are usually looked down upon”, she expressed.
The speaker maintained that if we want to have food security, to produce what we eat and even export to other countries, workforce must be prioritised.
She stressed that for the nation to totally deliver from food insecurity nationwide, rural women must be given significant attention and must be empowered with the resources to do their farming.
In the same vein, Professor of Agricultural Economics, University of Ibadan, Prof Victor Okoruwa, spoke on “Prioritizing the value-chain for the attainment of SDG of self-sufficiency”.
While Dr Kehinde Ayo, from Agricultural Economics Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), spoke on : “Planning & Training of others for L3F”