By Omolola Pedro
The former Head, Department of Agricultural Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Prof. Adeolu Ayanwale, has urged Nigerian youths to embrace the use of technology to promote agriculture. Ayanwale gave this charge while speaking at a training/capacity building workshop, themed “Scaling-up Lifelong Learning for Farmers (L3F) in Nigeria”, which was sponsored by the Commonwealth of Learning in collaboration with the Obafemi Awolowo University, and Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
The Professor said that many youths, who are out of school and residents in urban areas, though unemployed, are not interested in farming, even though they have the potentials to thrive in the agricultural business. He added that the introduction of technological innovations could heighten youths interests in agribusiness. He said, “The training will help youths to use their phones, ICT tools, such as small messages to draw the attention of their colleagues at the urban centres to agricultural activities, thereby making them gainfully-employed”.
