The Sustainable Agro and Hunger Eradication (SAHE) Foundation, in partnership with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), has launched the Tech Young Farmers Club (TYFC) in secondary schools. The initiative is expected to build a young generation of farmers that will be technologically-driven.
The Founder/Chief Executive Officer of SAHE Foundation, Dr. Idongesit Mbaram, said that the foundation, which started in 2017, had over the time, been able to establish its presence in secondary schools, educating the students on the importance of agriculture and getting them to be in love with agriculture early. She said that the TYFC is an initiative that aims to mentor and empower young individuals, regarded as the next generation of farmers with the knowledge, skills, and resources they need to become future leaders in sustainable agricultural practices, adding that “the foundation will support the schools and participating students with seedlings, branded sacks, and modern farming technique kits, among others”.
The Director-General of Premier Agribusiness Academy, Dr. Francis Toromade, in his remarks, said that there is no doubt that no nation survives without agriculture and that the reason why the nation is where it is now is because the country is too much oil-dependent. He said that catching the young into agriculture is the best thing that can happen to the nation, going by the needs of everyone. “We don’t have any option in Nigeria except to go back to agriculture, where we are starting now is the best way especially when we are talking about technology to drive agriculture. The moment we correct the mindset of our children, I can assure you it will reduce the number of people that want to go abroad”, he said. Also, the Chairman of the Learners’ Activities Committee, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Lagos State Chapter, Dr. Olaoye Abiola, said that the TYFC is set to introduce modern farming techniques and technology to young adults from ages 12 and 16 within SS1 and SS3.
He said that the students will be empowered with polished seeds that will be grown in their various schools in customised sacks, properly-monitored and maintained. An official from the Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) office, Dr. Adetunji Toyin in her address, said that agriculture must be taken, not by words, but by action. “All over the world, agriculture is the engine of growth. People regard agriculture also as ensuring food sovereignty and as we move on every day, the population of the world increases whereas the productivity of agriculture is not increasing as the population, it is not at the same level. So, what do we do? We need to see how we increase productivity and we do that through the introduction of technology”, saying that the nation should put technology in the hands of youths.
