The All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has proposed a new partnership with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to train Corps Members in key areas of agriculture.
The proposal was presented by the Deputy National President 1 of AFAN, Chief Daniel Okafor, during a courtesy visit to the NYSC Director-General (DG), Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, at his office in Abuja.
Okafor said the partnership would focus on training Corps Members in aquaculture, irrigation farming, crop production, feed farming, animal production and other areas within the agricultural value chain.
He explained that AFAN was established to ensure sustainable agricultural practice and boost economic growth, including adequate food supply across the country.
According to him, Corps Members, as graduates, have the capacity to contribute meaningfully to agriculture if properly trained. He said they could play a major role in improving food sufficiency nationwide.
Okafor stated that agriculture remains a strong sector for job creation and quick returns. He asserted that “agriculture is the only sector of the economy that could generate employment and also yield good profit within a short period of time because of its vast value chain.”
In his response, the NYSC DG, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, said farming is evolving daily and described farmers as critical to the Nigerian economy.
He noted the urgent need to produce more young farmers because of the many advantages farming offers to the people.
Nafiu identified insecurity, land ownership issues and climatic factors as major hindrances to farming. However, he added that with modern techniques, more could be done to improve agricultural practice.
The DG also said the NYSC is blessed with graduates who specialized in veterinary medicine, soil science, animal production, crop production and other agriculture-related courses.
He added that management would study the training proposal and ensure its smooth implementation.
