Oyo state has recently inaugurated a Start Them Early Programme (STEP), an initiative of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).
According to Governor Seyi Makinde, the initiative is aimed at promoting the interest of young people in the state in agriculture.
During the launch of the initiative, Governor Makinde expressed pleasure saying, “the project is a product of the type of innovative thinking that ensures that young people learn agribusiness in theory and practice right from secondary school.”
He declared that his administration has set up the state for a massive turnaround in agribusiness, adding that the state was ready to absorb anyone ready to invest in large scale agriculture practices and agribusiness.
The programme, he pointed out, will be replicated by the state government in all zones of the state.
“We remain steadfast in our resolve to grow our economy through agribusiness. In the 80s to early 90s, we had the Young Farmer’s Club in schools. There was also the School to Land Programme in Rivers State,” he said.
“These programmes helped to steer the interest of some youths towards agriculture, and I must say that some people who have grown to become farmers today developed their interest in the sector because of those initiatives,” he further said.
“Now is time to borrow a leaf out of the 80s book and bring back this initiative. This pilot programme will expose young minds to careers in agriculture that they never knew existed, and they will be given the needed direction to pursue these careers,” he added.
He stated that he was particularly thrilled because the students will not only be learning agriculture in the classrooms but through positive peer-pressure groups.
According to the governor, the introduction of an initiative like STEP, which intends to catch the next generation of youths in agriculture, is a step in the right direction, adding that it sits well with the focus of his administration to explore agriculture and its value chain to expand the state’s economy.
“One of the challenges that agribusiness is facing is that in most parts of Africa, when we talk about agriculture, is that it is a profession of old people and not young people,” he said.
“The truth is, what we set before young people as a goal is what they will pursue. When our parents told us to be doctors, lawyers, engineers and architects, we followed that path. The school system also emphasised those professions. It is now time to diversify. It is time to start teaching our children, the business of agriculture.
“And this ties up nicely with our plans here in Oyo State to leverage on agriculture to grow our economy. We have created the Oyo State Agribusiness Development Agency. Through this agency, we have recently launched the Youth in Agribusiness Tomatoes Project targeted at youths in Awe in Oyo, Igboora in Ibarapa and Tede in Oke-Ogun zones.
The governor added that his administration would review the state’s 2020 budget to facilitate the possible take-off of the STEP programme in parts of the state within the remaining months of the year.
In his address, Nteranya Sanginga, director-general of IITA, told the gathering that the facility in Fasola will be used to engage a selected number of students and teachers who will be trained on modern agricultural technologies and production.
Sanginga, in an address delivered on his behalf by Chrysantus Akem, coordinator, Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation Program (TAAT) of the IITA, enjoined the Oyo State government to judiciously utilise the multi-million Naira project for the resuscitation of the state’s agribusiness.
