Food Production: Minister Kyari calls for investment in youths
By Gabriel Ewepu
ABUJA – THE Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, Tuesday, said Nigeria and other African countries need to seriously invest in the young population to drive the food systems.
Kyari stated this in his speech on a side event organized by the African Union, AUDA-NEPAD, and AGRA on the official launch of the Youth in Agrifood Systems Performance Index (YAPI) at the ongoing 9th Africa Agriculture Science Week (9AASW) and the 10th General Assembly of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) in Abuja.
This landmark initiative highlights Africa’s commitment to empowering youth in agrifood systems, strengthening food security, and driving sustainable development across the continent and offering valuable insights into the future of agrifood innovation.
He said: “Today is not really about much other than a tour of the framework.It is about measuring what we have promised, capturing what we have delivered, and ensuring that the voices of the people are young people, and none of them will be fooled by the data as chips.
“The African Union presents a single scope-based measurement tool that provides a comprehensive view of youth work opportunities and employment within the agricultural system. It is a framework designed to create a robust, reliable, and comprehensive system of monitoring and reporting to improve the overall economic development.
“With the African Union, we turn evidence into action, conforming to the right gap in opportunities that build stronger systems, foster new prosperities, initiate and craft new policies, and support new programs to sustain and grow our youth.
“We also acknowledge the rigorous and engaging process that led to the launch of this beautiful document conducted across continental, regional, and national levels with Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and other pilot countries guiding its implementation.
“As member states, we commit to owning and specializing the document as a new focus of sustainable development in Africa, integrating it into our national land use strategies, strengthening the implementation system, and using the document to guide policy and programmes that will leave a long-lasting impact for our young people.”
Meanwhile, the Country Programme Lead, AGRA in Nigeria, Juliette Lampoh, assured youth of working with them by granting them access to finance, to be resilient and enable them to succeed as YAPI is launched.
The Head, Rural Economy Division, Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission, Dr. Janet Edeme, said the youth occupies 70 per cent of the entire African population, therefore are fundamental to Africa’s food systems, hence, the need to help them surmount current challenges in the agrifood systems, and also to attract them into agribusiness and participate in the entire agricultural value chains.
Edeme also said AU and its partners will work to ensure implementation of the report to fast-track the expected investments in the youth to drive Africa’s agrifood systems.
Earlier, the Founder, Imaro Innovations, Babra Kaikara, called for attention and investment in young people to drive Africa’s agrifood systems as they are the future of the continent’s food systems.
Kaikara said, “Young people should not be left behind. Invest in them for Africa agriculture.”