Can't We Just Go Green?

CAN'T WE JUST GO GREEN?

BY: DARAMOLA OLATUNJI 

COMRADE DARAMOLA OLATUNJI (08130570954)

Inadequate of natural and mineral resources is not our problem in Nigeria. Our problem is the failure to leverage on them most especially arable of land in abundance in Nigeria.

Unarguably, agriculture contributes in no small measure for economic growth and development in the country. It is a prescribed antidote for incessant inflation and scarcity of food.

Agriculture serves as a veritable tool to boost foreign exchange which will ultimately strengthen  our currency in international market. 

Continuous neglect of the sector by the stakeholders particularly the government obviously does not help the situation. 

In Nigeria today,  virtually every household has produced a graduate and the government has been finding it difficult to provide employment for each and everyone of them. Of course, it is not possible.

This is indeed a clarion call to the teeming unemployed graduates, rather than searching for unavailable blue collar job, a comfortable and suitable refuge could be sought in agriculture.

Albeit, the government claimed to have being fulfilling his constitutional responsibility by encouraging the agricultural oriented youths via grants and loans but the mechanism and synergy had been fruitless due to corruption, tribalism and favouritism characterised it.

So, for the effort of the government to be a little effective, there should be appointment of the local cords by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for each state of the Federation, in collaboration with the state governments, saddles with the responsibility to select the agricultural oriented applicants based on merit.

Prior to selection, applicants must be directed by each state coordinator to make available such land suitable  for agriculture as part of the criteria  for the grant or loan.

Moreover, each applicant should be directed by the state vocal coordinator to submit a proposal within a stipulated time and there should also be a mutual and direct communication between the applicants and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture to enhance transparency.

By and large, applicants should be strictly monitoring after the grants by the government  so as to avert misappropriation.

If applicants are well equipped agriculturally,  it will  not only astronomically reduced the huge level of inflation , scarcity of food as well as social vices, but also reduce the incessant unemployment in the country to the barest minimum.