Makama Danjuma, the Agribusiness Coordinator of Horti Nigeria, has urged the government to develop more policies that will make farming appealing to the youth, as a strategy to address the rising unemployment and crime rates. He also advocated for the introduction of agriculture as a compulsory subject in secondary schools to prepare young people for the opportunities within the sector.
Danjuma shared these views during an interview with journalists in Zaria, Kaduna State, at a youth training event organized by Horti Nigeria in celebration of International Youth Day (IYD).
He emphasized that making agriculture a mandatory subject in schools could significantly equip young people with the knowledge and skills to explore the sector’s potential. Danjuma highlighted that Horti Nigeria, a four-year horticulture sector development program funded by the Kingdom of Netherlands, has been actively working to build the capacity of youth in farming. The program, which started in 2021 and is being implemented by a consortium led by the International Fertilizer Development Centre, East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer (EWS-KT), Wageningen University and Research (WUR), and KIT Royal Tropical Institute, operates in Kaduna, Kano, Ogun, and Oyo states, and has achieved an 85% success rate so far.
Danjuma noted that the program, which runs until August 2025, focuses on capacity building in vegetable farming, innovative technology, access to agricultural funding, and facilitating business-to-business linkages, among other areas. He expressed concern that Nigeria’s farming population is dwindling as the older generation fades out, with insufficient interest from the youth to take up farming.
The training event was part of the activities marking International Youth Day on August 12 but was rescheduled to Saturday, August 17, due to security concerns.
“We are creating awareness among the youth about the numerous opportunities in agriculture,” Danjuma said. “Nigeria’s population is over 200 million, with 75% involved in farming. However, the older generation, who are the main participants in farming, are fading out. We want to encourage the youth to embrace agriculture and help feed the nation. The government should implement youth-friendly policies to make agriculture more attractive.”
He also mentioned Horti Nigeria’s partnership with Simkay Foods Ltd, which is based in Zaria, due to its close relationship with youth groups for mentorship in agricultural value chains.
In his presentation, Zaccheaus Baggi, Kaduna State Coordinator for Innovative Youth in Agriculture (IYIA), highlighted that agriculture is Nigeria’s largest employment sector. However, he lamented that the sector has been neglected, resulting in a generation of uncoordinated youth missing out on the sector’s opportunities.
“Farming has evolved beyond just land cultivation. There are many aspects of agriculture, such as processing, preserving agricultural produce, seed production, vegetable farming, transportation, and supply, where one can engage and create business opportunities,” Baggi said. “This is a wake-up call for the youth to embrace agriculture instead of searching for non-existent white-collar jobs.”
Rejoice Usim, the Founder of Simkay Food Ltd and a graduate of International Relations, shared her journey into agribusiness after facing years of unemployment and encouragement from her father.