NAN-H-52
Farmers
By Cecilia Ijuo
Abuja, Aug. 3, 2017 (NAN) The New Generation of Productive Farmers Initiative (NGPFI), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has urged the Federal Government to declare a day for farmers to celebrate and promote government’s effort at mainstreaming agriculture.
National President of the group, Mrs Ayoola Olasode, made the call while briefing newsmen on Thursday in Abuja, and said that a National Farmers’ Day was necessary, given the place of food in families.
According to her, as part of current efforts by the Federal Government to diversify the economy, particularly through agriculture, it is pertinent to declare a day to further drive the importance of agriculture to national development.
Olasode also called on the National Assembly to continue to come up with legislations that would reposition agriculture in Nigeria.
She said that agriculture could not be wished away in spite of abundance of oil, adding that before the discovery of oil, agriculture was the main stay of the economy.
On the mission of NGPFI, Olasode said that the group was established to lend voice to the need to revive agriculture.
”We decided to bring together progressive and productive minded Nigerians to propagate the new gospel of agriculture.
”We have mapped out plans to begin advocacy visits to schools, particularly primary schools, to catch them young.
”We have currently commenced the training of some youths in different aspects of agriculture and we intend to enlarge our scope when we get sponsorship or loan from major stakeholders.
”Our target is to get as much as 5, 000 youths off the street by the end of the year.
”This is because there is absolutely nothing we can do without agriculture.
”It is pertinent to make agriculture one of the most attractive and acceptable practice for Nigerian youths to enable them make a living as well as contribute to the growth of the economy,” she said.
The president said that the organisation, which had been in existence for over five years, had acquired land for agricultural programmes, and was already running a poultry farm.
She disclosed that the group was working on collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and major stakeholders to move agriculture to another level.
She commended the Federal Government for putting policies in place to revamp agriculture and called on all Nigerians to get involved in farming. (NAN)
CJM/OPI/OPI