The term agriculture sparks images of a village scene with rustic farmers slinging their overused farming tools in the minds of every Nigerian – millennials aren’t immune either. The words ‘village’ and ‘agriculture’ are met with similar frowns and disgust – the typical Nigerian ‘I’m too big for this’ reaction. But “mindset change is key for agricultural entrepreneurs” Mr Festus Okunlola, a member of the international institute of tropical agriculture, opined.
The 5th ROWEAD conference held on the 8th of August 2018, at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs. The focus was initiating, coaching and mentoring activities in agribusiness and how Nigerians can key into it. Although the event was touted to focus on women, it didn’t lack the attendance of a good number of men, as speakers and attendees.
The event had the warmth of a family gathering, though, to me, the majority of the faces belonged to strangers. Maybe it was the closeness of the speakers and panellists or the involvement of the kids, but whatever it was, it was potent enough to make you feel welcome.
Despite the light-hearted atmosphere, it was a time for serious business. There was an equal need to make money and propel changes, whether personally or societally. This change, as the speakers indirectly stated, crops out from first understanding that there’s a gap that needs to be filled between agriculture and agribusiness- profit being the thin line that separates the two.
“Everyone is a farmer” King David, a speaker and organic farming advocate, said, but there are farmers and then there’s Amaka Chukwudum, the panellist who described herself as a posh farmer. Amaka is living proof that farming needn’t be raggedy or dirty and you can still retain your designer clothing – this should dissipate the fear of agriculture in our current image-driven, upmarket society. The possibility of a posh farmer isn’t farfetched with the advent of sack farming. A testimony Amaka gave of a woman who earns millions yearly from her ugwu sack farm left everyone with the desire to key into the business.
Past the business angle in the meantime, the 21st-century Nigerian youth needs to revert to agriculture. The number of youths in Africa which is recorded at 300million is set to double in the year 2045 (figures given by the keynote speaker, Festus Okunlola), this invariably means that we are likely to become cannibals with the current pace of our agricultural sector if something isn’t done fast.
But not all African countries are lacking in this regard, certainly not Rwanda. Using them as a case study, Abdulkadir Hassan, the fervourous panellist, enlightened attendees on the pivotal role women are playing in the steady success of the aforementioned sector in Rwanda. What Mr Hassan proposed is very much a paradigm shift: let women take control of the reins that men have failed woefully at.
There is a lot more to agriculture and agribusiness than is taught in our schools. And unfortunately, teachers and lecturers have failed to take advantage of this grooming stage, thanks to our implacable curriculum. With the internet, however, you can do more than learn, you can equally promote. Nkiruka Ilewi, the user experience designer, stressed the importance of having an online presence – social media, websites, blogs, et cetera – as a means to promote your agribusiness.
We were also instructed to never despise the days of early beginnings. Although the hall was filled with excitement triggered by the potential profit that can be made in agribusiness, the speakers reiterated the importance of starting small. Churning out huge amounts of money at early stages can be counter-productive – an advice well received by average income earners and students present.
Although the representation of a financial institution was lacking, their absence wasn’t a barrier because of a greater concentration on partnership and networking.
Mr Charles Anyiam-Osigwe capped the successful event with a word of wisdom that stayed with many; “Knowledge is power, but applied knowledge is more powerful.” The business of agriculture isn’t to be loathed anymore but embraced as the next big opportunity in Nigeria.