In a bid to enhance farming activities in the country, the University of Abuja, UniAbuja Ventures Limited has concluded plans to enrol 100,000 youths and students nationwide with the target of ensuring food availability, security and profitability.
The General Managing Director, Uniabuja Ventures Limited and Convener of the maiden UniAbuja Agro and Environmental Summit 2024, Hon.Teslim Sanni-Aba Balogun made the disclosure during the Summit powered by the Ventures in Abuja on Wednesday.
Hon. Balogun noted that, “The Summit is apt and it is an opportunity for major stakeholders to deal with the major crisis of foods scarcity, inflation and proffer solutions to improving our yields, farmlands, storage facilities and enhance our roads logistics network hinterlands”
He said “We have been able to get some support schemes from the Turkish, Taiwan and Denmark delegations in critical areas like transfer of technology, grants, scholarships, student Agro-preneurship skills development, and seeds funding for more research works.You know we are doing research here and we want to improve the seedlings”.
He stressed that, “We have various species of rice seeds, but we now have a popular seed called ‘Faro 44’, when you plant it, you can have more yields and output production on each hectares of land”.
The GMD revealed that, “The Turkish Delegation led by Dr Ali Ishan is pledging funds between $10 to $30 million dollars for three major schemes such as, Agro Processing Hub, and Machineries to enable our Agro products increase in terms of value addition for farmers acrid the country and monetary rewards for youth Agro businesses”.
The GMD reckons that, ” The programme we are trying to setup will benefit 100,000 Students to be captured in the next four years and predominantly youth centred across the 36 states of the federation. Nigerians can apply in any part of the country, as long as they have viable ideas and their businesses are duly registered”
He further stated that, “When you apply for this funds, we will come and do some verifications and the funds will be injected into your farm and there will be off takers agreement, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Uniabuja Ventures and the Turkish Delegation to secure these foods production”.
Speaking on the Summit, the GMD emphasized that, “It is about foods security, application of technology in Agriculture to improve our yields.”We are also looking at the supply chain optimization that are involved in moving Agric products from one country to another and issues of partnering on storage facilities”. he stressed.
According to him, “The programme is targeted at the use of technologies on the farmlands thereby shifting from various old method like the spraying techniques to the modern drone spraying techniques. We have also secured some financial commitment including technology transfer for a smart agriculture system and Smart City with Taiwan Ambassador, Mr. Andy Xib-Pring Liu.” The ambassador expressed willing to strengthen Taiwan’s relationship with Nigeria.
The former minister for environment Arc. Halima Tayo Alao also emphasized on climate change effect and climate funds that can help boost agricultural practices as well helping to curb the climate change crisis. In her wisdom she advised that quick response must be put in place to tackle the issues of global warming which is affecting not just Nigeria but the entire world but with emphasis on the northern parts of Africa.
On climate change, ” Hon. Teslim also explained that there are many factors affecting the farming system in Nigeria, such as deforestation without reforestation programmes which is becoming dangerous to the ecosystem”.