The National Agricultural Lands Development Authority (NALDA) has said it is sending 200 young farmers for capacity building on crop production and animal husbandry in Israel and Morocco.
This is part of the continuation of the National Young Farmers Scheme, (NYFS), programme that President Muhammadu Buhari flagged off some months ago.
Speaking during the official handing over of travel documents to the beneficiaries in Abuja, the Executive Secretary NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne, explained that it is a continuation of the National Young Farmers Scheme, NYFS, programme that President Muhammadu Buhari flagged off some time ago.
He said the programme assisted Nigeria in terms of food availability during the emergence of the novel Coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic, if not Nigeria would have gone to other countries cap in hand begging for food.
The NALDA ES said the aim is also to make agriculture more attractive to the youths as the training will expose and equip them on modern agriculture and agribusiness, which will lead to massive food production for Nigerians and for more exportation of food.
Ikonne further stated sending the 200 young farmers to Israel and Morocco is part of the new programme called ‘Aggressive Food Production’ in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.
He also said the youths who are drawn from the 36 states of the federation will be there for six days while they undergo intensive training on greenhouse farming and animal husbandry, and he explained that Israel and Morocco were chosen because they have the expertise in these areas.
He said: “We are running a programme we call ‘Aggressive Food Production’ and this we are doing in collaboration with the Ministry of Education as the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, is providing us with land from the universities for this.
“So we are sending them to countries that we know have string expertise on what we are doing; Israel and Morocco, and this is to enhance their knowledge and to expose them to modern day practice in crop production and animal husbandry, so 200 young farmers would be sent for capacity building in Israel and Morocco.
“When these people go and get exposed, the next question will be how will you be engaged and integrated them. We already have a platform like the institutional properties, the land from the schools, state governments and their communities definitely it makes it easier for them to be integrated”.
“They will begin to teach others this is what we saw there, this is how to do it and we will get better yield. So NALDA’s own will be much different and beneficial to the country because we have where they will be integrated when they come back from the training. So that is what makes NALDA’s programme more sustainable and unique.”
Explaining the criteria used to select the 200 young farmers, Ikonne said “we sent out messages to stakeholders, and the stakeholders selected and sent their names, and we are making sure that all the 36 states in the federation would participate in this train so that it makes it easier when they come back from this training they would be able to train the people within their state and their locality.
“So the total number like I said before is 200 young farmers that would be sent on this capacity building to Israel.”
However, he made it clear that, “The training is budgeted for in our budget because what ever that is not budgeted for cannot be implemented. The most important thing we have budgeted is the capacity building.
“No matter what it cost to send people to get training, the most important thing is we are building a new generation of farmers that would drive Nigeria’s agriculture going forward that should be the key.”
The NALDA boss charged the 200 youths to be good ambassadors of Nigeria, and should focus on what they would be trained on, and they have a great task in their hands to deliver when they return as far as training other young farmers back home is concerned.
Some of the beneficiaries spoke on the training and what they expect after the training.
Hassan Atiku, a farmer from Katsina State, said “I cultivate maize and millet beside foodstuff. I am very happy that I am one of the beneficiaries to this trip. I want to appreciate the effort of the President by building youth capacity on agriculture because building the youths is building the nation. I am ready to acquire more knowledge on crop production.
An Agriculture Educationist, Ifunnaya Ekot, said, “I am in agriculture education. Education but very interested in educating the next generation on agricultural processes, agricultural schemes, better ways to farm, especially in this day and age.
“So, I am very interested in seeing better ways to grow crops in Nigeria. I am very excited, very grateful for the opportunity, especially when it comes to educating myself first before you can educate others”.
Another beneficiary from Abia State, Julius Ugochukwu Nwokoma, said, “I am very happy to be part of this programme. Agriculture has been one of my doing and I’m running a small scale farm business in my village,
“So I am proud to be here and I want to appreciate the president for funding us and I want to beg you to encourage more of our youth to go back to the farm. In society today, our youths have been into many things; yahoo, they are not doing anything.