The Youth Advocates for Peace Justice and Empowerment Network (YAPJEN) has described the agricultural sector as a major employer of labour, providing employment to about a third of the Nigeria’s population.

A statement signed by YAPJEN President, Amb. Timothy Nwachukwu, noted that Nigeria has 84 million hectares of arable land and less than a third of that is cultivated.

“Nigeria possesses nearly 279 billion cubic meters of surface water, yet potential sources of irrigation from two of the major rivers in Africa – the Niger and Benue Rivers remain unexploited,” the statement said.

It stated that there would be food security, improved employment generation and revenue base if Nigerian youths can embrace agriculture instead of waiting for white collar jobs.

APJEN urged government and the teeming Nigerian youths to ensure attainment of the sdg goals especially ending hunger among Nigerians through mechanised agriculture and quality agricultural policies which is a panacea for wealth creation and reduction of unemployment among the youths.

It described the Anchor Borrower Programme, as a policy initiative by the Federal Government which is designed to support smallholder farmers by providing them with the requisite training, tools and funds at single digit interest rates which will enable improved cultivation of key agricultural items such as maize, soybeans, rice, cotton and wheat.

The group charged the state governors to identify critical success factors that will drive agricultural programs among the youths, review their policy and regulatory framework, land access, infrastructure, security, finance, inputs, market access and make agriculture more attractive to the Nigerian youths.

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