England, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr.
Akinwunmi Adesina, said that "Nigeria's future and
that of the rest of Africa, lies in rural development
through agriculture".
Domestic rice production for Nigeria, if effectively
realised, could change the fortune of local farmers
and create the much needed jobs for the nation's
teeming youth population.
It was an engaging moment on Saturday with
emerging African scholars and leaders from the
Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellowship at the Said
Business School in Oxford University, England.
Dr Adesina shared with the group milestones in
Nigeria's bold policies and institutional reforms
aimed at transforming the agriculture sector into a
revenue and job spinning sector.
He stressed the need for Africa to focus on innovative
mobilisation of its land and labour capital as a
means of achieving inclusive growth. He urged the
future leaders to champion this cause.
Low human capacity development amidst
infrastructural deficits is a shared challenge across
Africa.
The scholars at the forum, looking to reshape
Africa's economic future, agreed that a rising GDP
does little for actual poverty eradication.
Nigeria's Federal Government has a target of
creating millions of jobs from agriculture by 2015,
four months from now.
Part of this includes changing the general perception
about agriculture as an unfashionable means of
livelihood to a business venture that could create
more jobs for Nigerians.
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