Chief executive officer of Shield Africa, Mrs Osenaga Orokpo, has called for empowerment of women and youths to ensure sustainable agricultural development in Nigeria and Africa.
She made the call at the Shield Africa Summit 2024 held in Abuja with the theme; “Advancing Sustainable Development: Integrative Solutions for Food Insecurity and Poverty through Youth and Women Empowerment”.
In her keynote address, Orokpo, who noted that food insecurity and poverty had griped the continent, called for more engagement of youth and women in agriculture to tackle the menace.
“Food insecurity and poverty are no strangers to us. Hunger, inflation, pressures of a rapidly growing population are realities of a generation that might lose its agricultural backbone unless we act decisively.
“All these are heavy burdens Africa must now confront. We must prioritise sustainable agriculture and food security.
“We must transform our fields and our approach, prioritising sustainable agricultural practices, empowering our youth and women.and unleashing the true power of African agriculture.
“Imagine a different Africa—a prosperous Africa—where every young man and woman is given the tools to become an agri-preneur, transforming farmlands into sources of wealth, opportunity, and pride.
“Imagine a continent where agriculture is a respected, thriving industry, one that drives our economy, feeds our people and secures our future. This vision is not a fantasy but an achievable reality,” she said.
She further cited reports that hunger afflicted over 250 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, adding that population growth was threatening to exceed agricultural production.
“The average age of a farmer is now over 60 years, while the median age of the population is just around 18.
“In spite of a vast youth population, very few are involved in agriculture as urban migration and a lack of incentives have driven young people away from farming.
“With youth unemployment rates surging, this exodus from agriculture threatens Nigeria’s food security.
“It is a call to all stakeholders in the agricultural industry to join us to shield Africa from hunger, to shield Africa from poverty and from all kinds of pain and torture that she was never meant to experience.
“My call to everyone here today is to let us have all hands on deck to shield this continent.”
She further said that in 2025, the organisation would create direct and indirect jobs for 15, 000-20, 000 young individuals to ensure economic upliftment through increased productivity and local income generation.
“It will significantly contribute to youth employment, reducing poverty across global communities.”
In his keynote address, the Deputy Governor of Benue, Dr Sam Ode, said that we live in an era of immense potential, a time when we possess the tools, resources, and knowledge to rewrite the story of our rural communities.
Ode was represented by Director-General, Bureau for Entrepreneurship and Wealth Creation in the state, Benita Shuluwa.
Ode said that with the potential comes a responsibility—a responsibility to drive real change, to uplift lives, and to unlock the vast wealth lying dormant in rural economies.
He said that in Benue State, the government had made strides in driving economic transformation, adding that their experiences have provided a blueprint for the power of investment in rural infrastructure to boost agriculture and uplift communities.
“For instance, by enhancing road networks, we have been able to shorten travel time and reduce transportation costs for agricultural produce by as much as 25 per cent.
He commended Shield Africa in providing agricultural support, empowering youth, and promoting gender inclusivity.
“We know that without strong partnerships, the scale of transformation required to uplift Africa’s agricultural sector would be impossible,” he stated.
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