Lagos Refocuses Youths Attention On Modern Agric

The Lagos State Government says it is refocusing the attention of its teeming youth on modern agriculture, considered a veritable part of its economy.
The State Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, stated this last Friday in Ikeja, during the final stage of the Start Them Early Programme (STEP) Schools Agric-Competition.
The agri-competition is in collaboration with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the Innovation Youth in Agriculture (I-Youth) Project.
Adefisayo, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr Abayomi Abolaji, said government would harness the opportunities derived in modern forms of agriculture, as it educates the youth on its importance.
She said over the years, government at different levels, particularly at the Federal level, had always been touting the need to go back to agriculture, adding that it was not just to have food sustainability, but to also see it as a means, or another path to diversification.
“We have always for years relied on petroleum and we have seen where that has taken us to. The government has realised that and so has over the years been calling for a visit to the past, not of regret, but of re-engineering, of recharging our course.
“So, for us to therefore, take a step back and refocus our energy in agriculture, we are of course not going to depend on the men and women who are 60, 65, 70, 75 years old. We are not going to look at them to salvage the situation.
“Who are we going to beckon on? The youth, and we have them in large number. So that is why this programme is aimed at refocusing the attention of our youth to that veritable part of the economy.
“That sector of economy that has the capacity to absorb as many entrants as possible and one of the ways is through this competition, where you awaken the understanding, the spirit of these young boys”, the Commissioner explained.