Agric expert advocates 30 % population in farming to boost food production

By Correspondent in Ilorin

Nigeria will achieve self-sufficiency in food production, if only 30 per cent of its population can engage in farming to boost food production and self-sufficiency.

The Executive Director of Agriculture and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI), Ilorin, Dr Olufemi Oladunni made the call in Ilorin on Tuesday during a training programme on agribusiness for members of the Correspondents Chapel of the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

The Reporters reports that the training forms part of activities marking the 2021 Press Week of the Correspodents Chapel.

The executive director said mass farming by Nigerians, irrespective of class status, would force down the skyrocketing prices of foodstuff in the country.

He advised the government to encourage more Nigerians to go into farming by subsidising agricultural inputs and ensure that only qualitative and standard inputs were in the market for farmers to buy.

On the insecurity in the country, Oladunni advised government, across board, to engage the restive youths in productive ventures such as agriculture and agribusinesses.

For its part, he said ARMTI had been engaging in the training of youths in various areas of agribusiness to make them not only self-employed but employers of labour.

Oladunni added that at the end of the training programmes, ARMTI also provided starters packs valued at N200,000 to each of the beneficiaries to enable them start their own businesses.

He said the organisation had commenced the processes of opening regional offices in all the regions of the country, with a view to bringing its services closer to all Nigerians.