The Canadian government, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute(ARMTI) have enjoined Nigerian youths to embrace and promote agriculture through technology.
The Canadian government through its intergovernmental organisation, Commonwealth of Learning(COL) organised a capacity-building workshop tagged “Scaling-up Lifelong Learning for Farmers in Nigeria in Ile-Ife, Osun State lamented that many youths who are unemployed living in urban areas are not interested in farming despite a lot of potentials in the practice.
The representative of the intergovernmental organisation, Professor Adeolu Ayanwale disclosed that the workshop was organised for the youths and farmers to assist them to master the environment they are operating.
He explained that lifelong training would help the youths to use their phone, and ICT tools such as small messages to draw the attention of their colleagues in the urban area to agricultural activities which would arouse their interest back to the farm and be gainfully employed.
“There are a lot of potentials in using lifelong farming for farmers to ensure their inclusivity, the youths, the women can be included in the Agricultural program of the government.”
Earlier, the Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics, OAU, Prof Adebayo Akinola, said that the program came at the appropriate time and was designed to bring together farmers, learning Institutions, banks, and information and Communication technology providers to facilitate learning for development in the rural area.