Coming up at a challenging period of Nigeria’s economic situation, the initiative by the First Lady of Gombe state, Hajiya Asmau Inumah Yahaya is a commendable step forward towards achieving food security in the state known for its rich agricultural potentials. Involving 50 pupils and students drawn from different primary and secondary schools across the state , it is considered laudable because it falls in sync with the ‘catch-them-young’ mantra. And it also aligns with the vision of the nation’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu out to encourage the young ones to cultivate the habit of looking inwards to make the best use of the huge potentials the Creator has abundantly blessed us with.
It is worthy of note that Gombe state, carved out of the former Bauchi state on October 1, 1996 boasts of a land mass of 18,768 square kilometers out of which 6, 099 square kilometers is for expansion into farming of different types of crops. While agriculture engages 80% of the population, 35 % of the land is for crop cultivation. And 6,099 square kilometers is to be expanded for farming. Such crops include groundnut, cotton, cowpea, pepper, sugarcane and tobacco. Amongst the food crops are maize, guinea corn, millet, rice, sorghum, cassava, okro and onion.
In addition to all these, the state has rich grazing land ideal for animal husbandry. The extensive water resources and provide low-cost irrigation opportunity all–year round production. With bodies of water such as the Dadin Kowa dam,Balanga dam, as well as other rivers and lakes fishing has long become a lucrative investment business. Interestingly, this is being worked encouraged by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, more so as it has attracted the influx of some internally displaced people from the neighbouring Boko Haram embattled states of the North – East geo-political zone. But the succour and success recorded so far is traceable to the support from the International donor agencies.
For instance, it is on record that the African Development Bank’s inclusive Basic Services Delivery in addition to the Livelihood Empowerment Integrated Program has played a significant role to support fishing, more so for the internally displaced persons. There is the 12-ha Farm at Dadin Kowa with 12 production ponds,six nursery ponds and modern fish hatchery. The activities in these facilities are boosted by the fish feed mill owned and run by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources.
With the laudable Agric Youth Club initiative by the state’s First Lady, the processes should be well articulated by getting the pupils and the students enlightened on what the different aspects of agricultural practices involve. Thereafter, they can identify their areas of interest and core competence and develop their capacity in that regard. With this done they will be qualified to benefit from the support provided by the international donor agencies.
To sustain such food security initiative the current number of 50 pupils and students should be increased over time. Some of the beneficiaries should be encouraged to choose agriculture as their course of study at the higher education level, depending of course on their level of competence. By the additional knowledge of modern technology spanning different areas of agriculture the state would become the food basket of the nation. And by the time other states key into it, the value chain of food production, processing, preservation and packaging will be boosted to the point that we as Nigerians will stop importing sundry food items which we are capable of producing here in the country.
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