By Livinus Nnebedum
In the past, farming appeared to be the job for the illiterates or those who have failed in other activities and thus farmers are considered to occupy the lower rank in the society. In Nigeria then, there was sociological and psychological effects of being called a farmer. In fact, people prefer white-collar jobs than Blue-collar jobs where they can stay in air-conditioned offices with their suits and “babanriga”.
But farmers today are better off as there are many billionaire farmers. Many Nigerians are “soiling” their hands in farming and they are rich, literate and resourceful. To serve as an encouragement to our youths and others, it is worthy to know that the former Military Head of State (HOS) who handed over to Civilian president Shagari on October 1, 1979 is interested in farming as a business.
He is no other person than General Olusegun Obasanjo. The Daily Times Newspaper in those days did not fail to show the photo-news of the President working in his farms. This writer Livinus Nnebedum in 1987 during the NYSC visited some of the farms located in Oyo and Ogun states.
To serve as more encouragement to our people towards farming, it should be recalled that in 1980s during the launching of Green Revolution, the former Civilian President, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, launched the program by tilling the ground at the State House Ribadu Road Lagos then in his attire “babanriga”.
In developed countries, they have Billionaire farmers. The 39th President of U.S (1977 to 1981) was Jimmy Carter and he is a rich peanut farmer. It is recalled that President Jimmy Carter visited Nigeria in 1978 and met the Nigeria Head of State then General Obasanjo. Revolution is going on in Agriculture where the educated, the elites or the bourgeois, the powerful and the rich are reaching for the “green gold” with the best farming technologies money can buy.
Farming should no longer be regarded as poor-man’s job. It should be given higher recognition in the society. Even in the Bible, Genesis Chapter 9 verse 20, farming is recognized as the oldest profession where Noah was mentioned as the first man on Earth to plant a vineyard.
Thus, let all categories of farmers be proud of their profession, especially professional Agriculturists. Today, high profile politicians, retired army generals, the public and civil servants, the literates, rich and resourceful are joining the business of farming. Agriculture is now a business, noble, lucrative and prestigious profession. Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural resources – land, water etc. Even the human resources are in abundance.
The population of Nigeria is now over 200 million, but how many of them are interested in farming as a business. Youths loathed to take-up farming as a business and farming is left in the hands of old men and women in the villages with their crude farm implements. In Nigeria, Agriculture is still dependent on human muscle as its primary source of motive power and the result is low production.
Farming as a business and farming in general, should continue to receive subsidy in all Agricultural inputs from the government. Government should encourage all categories of farmers by providing enough incentives to them, such as mechanization of Agriculture, provision of credit facilities, storage facilities, improved seeds and seedlings, improved livestock (fingerlings, sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, cane-rats/grass cutters, poultry birds etc), Agrochemicals (Herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, fertilizers etc).
There is need for more good roads network, health and educational facilities, electricity and water supply, Information Communication Technologies to reach vast majority of rural farmers in their localities. The various governments such as the federal, states and local governments should strive to make the life of rural farmers worth living in their remote areas across all the 774 Local Government Areas in Nigeria.
The farmers need help to increase their farm outputs, income and improve their standards of living. Nigeria Government should pay more attention to development of Agriculture. Religious and honest implementation of all Agricultural programs budgets should be on focus. The era of lip-service to Agriculture by the government and the youths should be a thing of the past.
Let us face the reality and once more place Agriculture in the priority list as the main-stay and backbone of Nigeria ECONOMY. God and Nature has placed food and water at 2nd list after Air in order of importance and service in this world. Food is the products of Agriculture and water, according to Biology, is one of the classes of food. Therefore, in order of priority, Nature has made these ranking of necessities of life:
Air – 1st
Food & Water – 2nd
Medicine or Drugs (Health),
Shelter & clothing, Education, Manufacturing to provide goods and services for the living etc. Our youths, the present and future generations are advised to make career choice from opportunities available in Agriculture. As they are searching for government white-collar jobs, they should also engage themselves in self-employment and Blue-collar jobs such as farming and others.
Livinus Nnebedum, former Director in Anambra State Agricultural Development Programme (ADP), writes from the Federal College of Education (Technical) Umunze, Anambra State.