Honourable Stella Foluke Osafile, is the member, representing Amuwo Odofin State Constituency 1, in the Lagos State House of Assembly. In this interview with NURUDEEN ALIMI, she shares details of why youths in the constituency are being empowered with skills in agriculture through an ongoing training programme:
What prompted this training programme on urban agriculture?
I remember during electioneering, we campaigned on building the capacity of our youths in order to sustain their employability which will eventually lead to their financial empowerment. This training is part of the overall youth capacity building and the need in our society these days is food security. Once food is out of the challenges that we are facing, we are good to go. So, this is what among other things that led to the putting together of this training.
Why the choice of youths?
The choice of youths for this kind of empowerment is because they make up at least 75 percent of the population in my constituency. Aside that, they are the ones who really contributed hugely to our emergence. Therefore, they are prioritised in whatever we do, so the youth come first and this programme is very important in empowering them to forge ahead aside whatever skill they must have acquired in their journey of life. This additional skill will help them to contribute meaningfully to the growth of the society and by extension improve their personal lives.
Is this programme limited to Amuwo Odofin?
It is not going to be limited to Amuwo Odofin. I see Amuwo Odofin youths as the pioneers of this programme being the ambassadors meant to spread it across all the local government areas in Lagos State. This is just Constituency 1, It will spread beyond Constituency 1, the major recipients are Amuwo Odofin community, the federal constituency which is made up of Constituency 1 and Constituency 2. Youths in Amuwo Odofin Constituency 1 will be the pacesetters for other youths in other local government to be beneficiaries very important programme.
Will there be any form of empowerment to support the participants after the training?
Definitely, aside the training which is theoretical, there must be practical. It is from the practical that we will be able to know the recipients of this empowerment. The empowerment kits include: seedlings, farm implements and the overall which is land to practices farming. So, you will found out that if you have learnt something and you do not have all the necessary tool to put it into practice, the periods you use learning those skills will amount to of time. So, this programme, aside the skills acquired, we will definitely empower them in order to put what they have learnt into practice and we will begin to see the profit therein.
Food security is essential for the survival of any nation. Will you recommend to all levels of government to replicate this kind of project as a way to address food shortage?
If I will be able to recommend to government at all levels to reciprocate this kind of empowerment programme, I will do so with all my strength because agriculture is a very important aspect of our lives, without agriculture, nobody can survive because everyone needs to eat in order to keep body and soul together. Agric aside the oil and gas in which we pride ourselves in Nigeria has been neglected over the years and there is the need to shift our focus back to its practice. This training will be recommended appropriately. The Lagos State Government has been trying to do something similar in the past but it has always been the challenges of non-availability of space. But with this training, irrespective of our space or allocation in Lagos State, you can practice agriculture in your compound, vertical farming is the target here. So, this training will be recommended to the Ministries of Agriculture, Wealth Creation, Youth and Sport and let us see how it will be incorporated into the budget and see how it goes. Because Lagos State is with its massive population, we can not afford to depend on other region to feed us, we need to break even on how to feed ourselves.
READ ALSO: Gov Abiodun distributes 24,000 bags of fertiliser to Ogun farmers
