Stakeholders in the agriculture and economic sectors have urged governments at all levels to harness opportunities within the country’s youth population to drive economic diversification.

They made the call at a two-day public-private dialogue on the implementation of the cassava bio-ethanol value chain development project, held on Friday in Ibadan.

The stakeholders were drawn from civil society organisations (CSOs), academia, research institutions, youths, and farmers’ groups.

The workshop was organised by the federal ministry of budget and economic planning for stakeholders in the South-West geopolitical zone.

The dialogue aimed to discuss how to harness cassava bio-ethanol utilisation in the industrial and energy sectors for economic transformation.

The executive secretary of the Nigerian Academy of Science, Doyin Odubanjo, said Nigeria was yet to fully utilise its youth population, especially in the agriculture value chain, including the bio-ethanol implementation project.

Ms Odubanjo said young citizens in their productive years must be encouraged by the government to get involved in agriculture-related ventures, particularly cassava bio-ethanol diversification for alternative and cleaner energy to drive economic growth.

“The youth are an ignored potential wealth of Nigeria.

“They are critical, and their population is a huge advantage that we have in Nigeria and Africa at large, above the rest of the world, which we must maximise,” he said.

He commended the ministry for the inclusion of academia, research institutions, and other critical stakeholders in the discourse towards effective implementation of the bio-ethanol value chain project.

“We are working with the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, particularly on the bio-ethanol project, to ensure that everything done is evidence-based.

“What we are doing is to ensure that this is not a white elephant project.

“As we work with the Nigerian Academy of Science, the academy’s responsibility is to provide technical support from the best scientific minds among Nigerians at home and abroad.

“We are also providing technical support and advice at every stage of the development of the bio-ethanol value chain,” he said.

Similarly, the project consultant, Lanre Adekanye, urged the government to provide incentives that would attract youths to get involved in agriculture, especially the cassava bio-ethanol value chain project.

“Our youths can be incentivised to be part of this project.

“Instead of seeking white-collar jobs, numerous opportunities abound in cassava and ethanol value chain projects.

“Entry barriers facing youths, such as limited access to resources, information, and other challenges, should be addressed by the government through proper sensitisation,” he said.

A youth representative from Ekiti, Ayuba Akinola, commended President Bola Tinubu for sustaining the economic diversification drive through his Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Nigeria cannot be secluded from the realities of the 21st century, which include diversification into the bio-economy.

“The bio-economy enriches people, restores investors’ confidence, and is equally environmentally friendly,” he said.

Another participant, Patricia Amaechi-Obi of the Federal College of Agriculture, Ibadan, said women and youths in agriculture need to be empowered to overcome barriers such as land acquisition and access to funds to enable them to actively participate in the project.

The workshop also featured presentations on project monitoring and evaluation strategies, tracking mechanisms, and the presentation of certificates, among other activities.

(NAN)