Mr Ganiyu Egunjobi, the Chairman of Agege Local Government Area, Lagos, has called for low-interest rate loans of single digit for youth farmers, as part of efforts to end the current food crisis in the country.
Speaking at the 9th Constituency Stakeholders’ Meeting, which was held simultaneously yesterday (Friday, October 11) in all the 40 constituencies of the state, with the “Ensuring Food Security for a Sustainable Future: Youths Participation and Home-Grown Farming”, Egunjobi said that giving low-interest loans to youths who are interested in farming business, would go a long way in reducing the rising cost of food in the country.
Egunjobi spoke against the backdrop of a similar appeal by poultry farmers in the country for Nigerian governments’ intervention in order to bring down the cost of poultry feeds in the country.
Mr Omidokun Oyekunle, Chairman of the Oyo State chapter of Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), who made the call yesterday (Friday, October 11), in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, during the celebration of 2024 World Egg Day, said such an intervention would help to reduce the high cost of poultry feeds.
Oyekunle, represented by PAN Ibadan Zone I1 Chairman, Mr Wole Olulade, also spoke about the association’s several challenges during a visit to the Ido Local Government Chairman, Mr Sheriff Adeojo.
In his remarks at the Constituency meeting, Egunjobi identified insecurity and non-availability of low-interest loans for the youth population as some of the factors responsible for the food crisis.
“The problems of food shortage are many, among which is insecurity, which has prevented many farmers from accessing their farms. Farming in Nigeria is no longer attractive to the teeming youths.
“I want to suggest to the government at all levels to subsidise farming and also give loans at very low interest to farmers.
“The government should also improve on existing physical infrastructures in farming communities. That would discourage urban migration and encourage youths to embrace farming,” he said.
The Agege Council Chairman noted that farming and youth unemployment are recurring issues which require multi-dimensional interventions to tackle.
The Keynote Speaker, Dr Akinyemi Olusegun, a Director in the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, urged youths and residents in the state to engage in urban farming.
“In Lagos, we have more than 22 million residents and as a result, we have a huge need for food. People want to eat and engage in the food business,” Olusegun said,
urging youths to focus on home-grown farming and explaining that to achieve food sufficiency, farming capacity needs to be widened, while residents should also consider diversifying to animal husbandry.
Meanwhile, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that part of activities to mark the 2024 World Egg Day in Oyo State involved the visit of the PAN, Oyo State chapter, Chairman Oyekunle to the Chairman of Ido LGA, Mr Sheriff Adeojo.
According to Oyekunle, the high cost of poultry feeds is adversely affecting the poultry business in Nigeria, a reason for the high cost of eggs and other poultry products.
“Governments need to assist us primarily on inputs, particularly maize and soya beans, which we have control over in Nigeria.
“A lot of other micro-nutrients which are also expensive are imported, and with time we will get there and have control over them.
“But the one we have control over is maize and soybeans,” he said.
The Oyo State PAN chairman lamented that maize is about 50 per cent higher in Nigeria than any other country in the world.
“Nigeria needs to improve on the production of those two commodities, if we are to turn things around,” he said.
Oyekunle said further that governments need to assist with incentives or regulate the cost of the commodities for the association.
“This will help Nigeria to be within the bracket of what is happening globally,” he said.
On the World Egg Day celebration, the Oyo State PAN chairman urged Nigerians to consume at least one egg daily, saying eggs contain all nutrients except vitamin C.
“They boost immunity and help the body to function well,” he added.
In his reaction, Adeojo who was represented by a council official, Mr Bashir Adeshiyan, pledged the Ido local council’s commitment to prioritising agriculture and boosting food production.
Adeojo said the council would continue to do its best to ensure inputs get to people who really need them and not politicians, in order to reduce the association’s production cost.
NAN reports that the association members also visited Community High School and Nawarudeen Primary School, both in Ido, and the Primary Health Centre at Ologuneru to distribute eggs.
They also educated those they visited on the benefits of egg consumption.
The Principal of Ido Community High School, Mr Adeniyi Samuel, thanked the association for the gesture.
