The Nigerian Youth for Agricultural Revolution Initiative (YOFAGRI), an NGO, says the agriculture sector contributes about 21 per cent to the Nigerian gross domestic product (GDP).

The national chairman of YOFAGRI, Jerry Ngene, stated this at the inauguration of the youth empowerment initiative in Abuja.

Mr Ngene said that with 70 per cent of the population engaged in the agricultural sector, agriculture had the potential to solve the youth unemployment crisis as well as to be transformed.

“Understandably, agriculture is the fastest and most stable industry in Nigeria, contributing about 21 per cent to the Nigerian GDP.

“With 70 per cent of the population engaged in the sector, it has the potential to solve the youth unemployment crisis as well as to be transformed.

“It is in view of this that YOFAGRI, a non-governmental organisation, has the vision of empowering 1,000,000 youths annually with quality seeds of crops that have a comparative cultivation advantage in their domain.”

He said that youths were very important resources for sustaining agricultural productivity and for national development in every nation.

Mr Ngene said that in view of the need to engage youths, the Nigerian government, in collaboration with the private sector, had established programmes that engaged youths.

He said that the youth could also present a significant threat to social cohesion and political stability if sufficient economic and employment opportunities were unavailable.

“We, therefore, call on the government and other NGOs to partner with us in order to take our youths out of the street while providing food for the common Nigerian,” Mr Ngene said.

In a goodwill message, Deola Lordbanjour, director of extension services, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, said that the department was proud to associate with the laudable objectives of the organisation.

He said that the growing demand for food meant that there was scope for the forces of supply to take advantage of a growing market.

“Global food prices are at their highest point in several decades and are expected to remain high for the foreseeable future and Nigeria is not exempt.

“Youths, as the life wire of any nation, when empowered, can take advantage of the food crises for national food security and sustainability,” he said. 

(NAN)