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Provost of the College, Dr Samson Odedina
The Provost of Federal College of Agriculture, Akure (FECA), Dr. Samson Adeola Odedina, has urged government at all levels to make agriculture more attractive to the youths, so as to utilise the value added chain opportunities.
Odedina, who stated this in Akure, during the celebration of icons and launching by the Freelance and Independent Broadcasters’ Association of Nigeria (FIBAN), where he received Educational Excellence Award, lamented the incessant drifts of youths from the rural areas,, to the cities for white-collar jobs, creating inadequacies, lack of innovations and risk to food insecurity.
The Provost, who dedicated the award to the youths, noted that Nigerians have started recognising agricultural institutions due to the tremendous impacts they are making to the society and world at large.
“To me, that is an inspiration for the youths because if they stay in the profession, they can make it, the society will recognise them. There are many untapped and limitless opportunities in agriculture.”
Odedina, whose college is among the six partnering the School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (HAFL), Zoilikofen, Switzerland and the Swiss government on Capacity Building for Agricultural Education in Nigeria (HAFL), enjoined Nigerian government to follow suite.
“What the government can do is to expose the youths to agricultural value chains opportunities. Agriculture is not only hoe and cutlass; there are so many exciting opportunities where the youths can explore.
“They abound in production, bulk purchase, marketing and others; it is only when youths are exposed to these through trainings that they can stay in the profession.”
He urged government at all levels to continue to support agricultural institutions and other stakeholders in order to cause massive in-roads to the sector by the youths, and sublimate their strengths for the development of the sector.
