4 Reasons Why Agriculture Is An Untapped Goldmine Youths Must Explore

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Reasons why agriculture youths

Agriculture, in spite of its great strides over the years and its contribution to the Nigerian economy, remains one of the least attractive sectors to the Nigerian youths. A study on youths carried amongst youths in Southwestern universities in Nigeria showed that only about 21.5% of the respondents were willing to participate in agriculture; while 68.5% of the respondents were not willing to attend seminars that would encourage youths to participate in agriculture. Over half of the respondents attributed their unwillingness to participate in agriculture to “making one dirty”.

Although this may have been true in the past, the recent introduction of technology solutions to the agricultural sector has seen the participation of youths in agriculture increase. This can be attributed to improved access to funding opportunities, farm inputs, technological innovations and digital solutions in the agricultural sector.

Experts have stated that youths are going to find agriculture attractive with the introduction of technology. In turn, the use of technology will drive youths’ inclusion in the agricultural sector.

Here are the major reasons why youths need to join agriculture:

It is a $5 Trillion Industry

The food and agriculture industry is a $5 trillion industry and it is ranked the 7th biggest industry in the world in 2021, according to Yahoo Finance. It is expected that the worth of the food and agriculture will increase, by 2050 it is projected to feed about 9.7 billion people. In order to meet that demand a 70% increase in agricultural production is required.

In 2030, Africa’s Agribusiness industry is projected to be worth $1 trillion.

Opportunity for Local Production

The Nigerian food and agriculture market is heavily dependent on imports to meet the demand for food consumption in the country. In a recent report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigeria spent about N1.3tr on agriculture between January to June 2021, while exports within that period was at N292.5bn. This resulted in a trade deficit of N1.07tn in the agricultural sector.

Mechanization and digital solutions have been highlighted as key factors that will boost agricultural productivity for smallholder farmers in Nigeria. There have also been calls by experts for more youths to drive agriculture in the country using technology.

By exploring agricultural technology youths can improve and increase the local production of food in Nigeria. Learn about how artificial intelligence in farming is making it more profitable.

Job Creation and Job Opportunities

You may not know this, but agriculture is the largest employer of labour and source of livelihood for most Nigerians. Agriculture provides employment for about 36% of Nigeria’s labour force and over 70% of Nigeria’s population are engaged in agriculture at a subsistence level.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s agricultural industry has a huge potential to reduce the employment deficit which currently stands at 42.5% unemployment rate.

The Managing Director of Babban Gona, Kola Masha, a leading Agricultural Entrepreneur in Nigeria, believes that youth unemployment in Nigeria can be reduced through agriculture.

Check out this blog post on  careers in agriculture youths can explore. If you are interested in the agritech side of things, you can check out the top in-demand agritech jobs to get additional insights.

Contribution to The Economy

If your guess is as good as mine or you have been following the flow of this article, you should know by now that the agricultural sector is Nigeria’s biggest biggest contributor to the country’s National GDP.

The agricultural sector remains the largest contributor to the country’s national GDP over the past nine years (2013-2021). In the National Bureau of Statistics Nigerian Gross Domestic Product Report (Q2 2021), agriculture contribution to the GDP was 23.78%, while the trade sector had a contribution of 16.66%, telecommunications and information services – 14.42%, oil sector – 7.42% and real estate 5.28%.

The President of African Development Bank (ADB), Akinwumi Adesina has stated in the past that if properly nurtured, the agricultural sector would produce the next generation billionaires in Nigeria and the rest of Africa.

The agricultural industry is a goldmine waiting to be explored by the youths who can see the opportunities it holds.

1 thought on “4 Reasons Why Agriculture Is An Untapped Goldmine Youths Must Explore”

  1. Nnamdi

    lovely information
    I appreciate the efforts
    please I need more resources on maize farming my goal is 11tons/hectare with irrigation / fertigation farming
    Thanks once again

    Reply

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Frank Altman

Board Director

Frank Altman is the founder and first CEO of Community Reinvestment Fund, USA. As CRF’s founder, Altman pioneered the development of a secondary market for community and economic development loans. Since 1988, under Altman’s leadership and in partnership with a network of more than 200 local community partners, CRF has funded more than $3.5 billion in loans to job-creating small businesses, non-profits, charter schools and affordable housing projects in 50 states plus the District of Columbia and more than 1,000 communities across the United States.
 
Altman helped design the creation of the federal New Markets Tax Credit to encourage private investment in low-income communities and is a founding member and first President of the New Markets Tax Credit Coalition. He is also a member of the Center for Community Development Investors at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and an advisor to the Social Innovation Initiative at Brown University and the Center for Impact Finance at the University of New Hampshire. His work has been featured in Inc. Magazine, where he was named one of its Entrepreneurs of the Year, and he received Fast Company’s Social Capitalist award.
 
Altman has been awarded the Economic Development Innovation Award from GIS Planning Inc. and fDi Intelligence for his contribution to the field of economic development. Altman is a Senior Fellow at Ashoka, the world-wide network of social entrepreneurs and a founding member of Kindred.
 
More recently, in September 2023, Altman authored a book published by Forbes and titled “A New Capitalism: Creating A Just Economy That Works For All.”It is available in physical and online book stores and on Audible.

Michael Jainzik

Board Director

Michael Jainzik works as an independent consultant and brings his extensive expertise in the areas of agricultural finance, international investments, risk management and corporate governance. He is currently based in Rome, Italy.
 
From 2001 to 2011, Michael worked as an investment professional at KfW Development Bank, focusing on international debt financing and equity investments in investment funds and banking institutions, mainly in the areas of agricultural finance and microfinance. From 2011 to 2015 he worked as Director of KfW’s office in Windhoek. In this role, he helped manage and develop KfW’s EUR 250 million portfolio in Namibia. From 2015 to 2017, he took on the position of Head of Corporate Development at Access Microfinance Holding, where he was responsible for structuring and leading a merger process between Access Holding and another company.
 
Prior to joining Babban Gona, Michael served as a non-executive director in Access Bank Azerbaijan (2006-2011, Chairman), Belarusian Bank for Small Business (2008-2011), Rural Impulse Fund II Luxemburg (2010-2011) and AB Bank Zambia (2011-2016).
 
Michael studied economics and management at the Universities of Lüneburg and Witten/Herdecke (Germany) and at ETEA – Universidad Loyola in Córdoba (Spain) and holds a Master’s degree in economics and management.

Bello Maccido

Board Member

 Mr. Maccido is an accomplished Corporate and Investment banker with over 31 years post graduate experience. He had at different times served on the Boards of FBN Holdings Plc, First Bank of Nigeria Plc and Legacy Pension Manager Limited and is currently the Chairman, FBN Merchant Bank Ltd. Mr. Maccido is a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers and the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria. Mr. Maccido holds a Law Degree (LL.B) and a Masters Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA respectively. He is a Barrister at Law (BL) of the Supreme Court of Nigeria and an Alumnus of the Executive Business Programs of the Harvard Business School and the IMD, Lausanne, Switzerland.

Muhammad Sanusi, CON

Chairman of the Board

His Highness Muhammad Sanusi was appointed the 10th Governor and Chairman of the Board, Central Bank of Nigeria on 3 June 2009. He earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Economics from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and also has a first-class degree in Sharia and Islamic Studies from the African International University, Khartoum, Sudan.
 
From working as a lecturer at the Ahmadu Bello University, where he taught Economics, he joined the banking industry in 1985, and by January 2009 had risen to General Manager and Group Managing Director of First Bank of Nigeria PLC, Nigeria’s oldest and biggest bank. Mallam Sanusi has been conferred with a National Award of Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and has also been awarded the “Global Central Bank Governor for 2010” by The Banker Magazine, a publication of the Financial Times.
 
He was also voted Central Bank Governor of the Year for Sub-Saharan Africa 2009 (an award he won again in 2010) by Emerging Markets, a publication of Euromoney Institutional Investors. In 2011, Mr. Sanusi was named Forbes Africa Person of the Year for 2011. He was also listed by TIME Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Kola Masha (Managing Director) Prior to Babban Gona, Kola was a Managing Director and CEO of a major subsidiary in the Notore.

Lola Masha

Executive Director

 

Before joining Babban Gona, Lola was the Director for Trust and Safety at OLX Group, working across 30+ OLX markets to ensure that buyers and sellers can transact safely and securely on the platform. Prior to her global role at OLX, Lola was the Country Manager for OLX in Nigeria where she was responsible for driving all elements of the business including Business Development, Product Localization, Marketing and other relevant functions. OLX Group is one of the world’s leading online classifieds players. Through its brands including OLX, Avito, dubizzle and letgo, OLX Group is the home of online classifieds in high-growth markets.

These platforms are the leading destination for buying and selling used goods and services in 30 countries, and the #1 mobile app in its category in more than 20 markets. Globally ~ 11 million items are exchanged through its platforms every single month.

Prior to joining OLX, Lola spent 4 years at Google leading various Product Partnerships efforts across EMEA and Emerging Markets. Lola was one of the earliest Googlers in Sub-Saharan Africa when the technology company began its operations in the region.

Lola shaped the regional strategy, executed on several core initiatives and led business development efforts with key SSA partners including the telcos, OEMs, digital content providers and local entrepreneurs. Lola brings significant leadership experience in business development, entrepreneurship, operational transformation and product development across several industries including technology and financial services.

In addition to Africa, Lola has substantial international working experience in North America, Europe, and Asia. She also worked in the Chicago office of McKinsey & Company, where she spent time advising senior executives on extensive strategic management topics. Lola holds a Doctorate degree in Engineering from the UniversiAnnual Report 2019/2020 ty of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering from the University of Virginia. She is happily married with two kids.

Kola Masha

Managing Director

 Prior to Babban Gona, Kola was a Managing Director and CEO of a major subsidiary in the Notore Group, one of Nigeria’s leading agricultural conglomerates, where he raised US$24 Million to develop an integrated agricultural trading, production and processing business.

Furthermore, he led the development and execution of Notore’s commercial strategy across West and Central Africa, preparing the company to sell one million tons of fertilizer and establish a modern seed business.

He led the effort to raise $130 million in equity and the restructuring of $360 Million in debt. Kola brings significant leadership experience in venture capital, corporate finance, business development, marketing and operations, across four continents with multiple global companies, including GE, Notore and Abiomed. In addition, Kola brings extensive public sector experience as Senior Advisor to the Nigerian Minister of Agriculture.

In recognition for his leadership in driving positive change on the African Continent, he has received several global awards including the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship, a leading leadership institute led by General Collin Powell and appointed to the Board of the African Enterprise Challenge Fund, a $250 Million fund that awards grants and repayable grants to private sector companies to support innovative business ideas in agriculture, agribusiness, renewable energy, adaptation to climate change and access to information and financial services. Kola holds an MBA (Honors) from Harvard and a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Kola Masha

 

Prior to Babban Gona, Kola was a Managing Director and CEO of a major subsidiary in the Notore Group, one of Nigeria’s leading agricultural conglomerates, where he raised US$24 Million to develop an integrated agricultural trading, production and processing business.

Furthermore, he led the development and execution of Notore’s commercial strategy across West and Central Africa, preparing the company to sell one million tons of fertilizer and establish a modern seed business.

He led the effort to raise $130 million in equity and the restructuring of $360 Million in debt. Kola brings significant leadership experience in venture capital, corporate finance, business development, marketing and operations, across four continents with multiple global companies, including GE, Notore and Abiomed. In addition, Kola brings extensive public sector experience as Senior Advisor to the Nigerian Minister of Agriculture.

In recognition for his leadership in driving positive change on the African Continent, he has received several global awards including the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship, a leading leadership institute led by General Collin Powell and appointed to the Board of the African Enterprise Challenge Fund, a $250 Million fund that awards grants and repayable grants to private sector companies to support innovative business ideas in agriculture, agribusiness, renewable energy, adaptation to climate change and access to information and financial services. Kola holds an MBA (Honors) from Harvard and a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.