Elder statesman and founder of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola (SAN) has presented a sum of N11.5 million as empowerment to farmers across the 16 Local Government Areas of the State.
Babalola doled out the cash award to the outstanding farmers at the weekend during the grand finale of the 2023 edition of Afe Babalola Agricultural Exhibition ( AB-EX) and empowerment of youths in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital.
At the event, about 80 farmers from the 16 LGAs received a sum of N9.2 million; the overall best farmer got N2 million and other cash awards for the local council areas; while 32 youths received empowerment tools for self-reliance.
Babalola who congratulated the farmers for success of this year’s edition explained that his efforts in empowering farmers in the last nine years in the state were borne out of his genuine concern to boost food sufficiency in the society and contribute to the economic growth of the country.
He revealed that the decision of the Forum for International Green Sustainability (FIGS) which is a body that promotes food security across the world to decorate him as grand patron and the distinguished African Man of the Year in food security 2014, necessitated his resolve to fund the yearly farmers exhibition.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said that investment in agriculture remains the only way for the country to survive its current challenges, adding that when farmers are producing in commercial quantities it would reduce the over-dependence on foreign foods and unemployment rate.
He added that the government at all levels must be deliberate in its policies in the sector by supporting large-scale farming with investment in modern agricultural equipment and implementing for more people including the elites to be involved in farming.
According to him, there is a need for the government to encourage financial institutions to make available soft loans with single digits interest to agricultural cooperative societies.
The renowned lawyer who advised farmers to form Cooperative Societies in their respective communities said monthly subventions to the state should include special funds for farmers in each of the council areas.
Babalola said, “Our goal is to revive the interest of the ordinary man, the educated one, the rich people, the academics, the politicians, teachers and students in agriculture.
“After the middle ages, the white men developed some other tools and in modern times with the discovery of electricity, they have developed implements such as ploughs, harrows, ridgers, bulldozers, payloads, graders and others.
“The question is, how many of us in Ekiti can buy this modern equipment? Modern equipment enables the rich and highly educated people to engage in large-scale modern agriculture.
“Farmers must form cooperative societies and use their lands as security to obtain soft loans from the Bank of Agriculture. The said cooperative societies can then buy modern agricultural implements which farmers can hire to enable them engage in modern agriculture.”
He further suggested that the school curriculum in the country should be amended for theoretical and practical agriculture to be taught in all primary and secondary schools.
The secretary general of National Commission for UNESCO (NATCOM-UNESCO) Idowu Olagunju commended the investment of ABUAD founder in the agriculture sector, adding that all his efforts including the annual AB-EX event would help in attaining the needed food security in the country.
While reiterating the need for people, especially youths to embrace agriculture instead of the non-existent white collar jobs, promised to offer more support to the project towards attaining the 2030 sustainable development goals(SDG) of ending hunger in the nation.
On his part, the Elemure of Emure-Ekiti, Oba Emmanuel Adebayo called on privileged individuals and government at all levels to emulate the gesture of Babalola by investing in agriculture, saying, “ Nigeria has the capacity to feed the whole Africa with the way God has blessed us.”
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