By Muhammad Sani Mu’azu
Nigerian youths have been encouraged to venture into farming as it is a very profitable business.
They are also inspired to embrace mechanised farming and improved agricultural practices, and to also see farming as a business and not just a hobby so as to improve the livelihood.
Abdulrashid Abdulaziz, the account and finance officer of Women Farmers Advancements Network WOFAN made the call while speaking with Albarka Radio correspondent Muhammad Sani Muazu at the sideline of a one day training for extension workers on the use of Commcare app under the Integrated Community-led Network of Hope (ICON 2) project held in Kano.
He said one of the Ultimate goals of WOFAN is to stimulate livelihood enhancement through improved agricultural practices along the entire value chain calling on youths to follow suit.
He emphasized the importance of value addition, citing example with rice where the actual business starts after harvest, as adding value avail farmers the opportunity to gain more.
According to him, WOFAN has made it a task to continue educating farmers especially youths from 18-35 years to change the narrative, as it is not possible to be doing the same thing every day and expect a different result.
Abdulrashid Abdulaziz implied that WOFAN has introduced simple and gender friendly farming equipment that will enhance production and by extension help farmers gain more.
He also indicated that simple processing machines are also introduced to community partners of WOFAN which gives them the opportunity to add value to the crops they produce with a view to competing favourably in the market.
For community partners who are mostly rural women, the WOFAN officer used the medium to appeal to their husbands to support them in their farming business, so as to contribute their own quota in the financial activities of the home.
Abdulrashid Abdulaziz also emphasized the importance of Providing women with opportunities, which is crucial pointing out that they contribute significantly beyond traditional roles of childbirth and child-rearing.nd child-rearing.
