Nigeria to Train 750,000 Graduates for Commercial Farming Scheme - Minister

Nigeria to Train 750,000 Graduates for Commercial Farming

The Federal Government is set to launch a scheme for young graduates in commercial farming to be known as "Nagroprenuers", Akinwumi Adesina, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said.

Mr. Adesina said this on Monday in Abuja at a news briefing entitled: "Realising the Potential of African Agriculture: Catalytic Innovations for Growth", organised by the Rockefeller Foundation, an international NGO.

The news briefing was part of the activities to mark the foundation's Centennial anniversary. Another activity would be a conference of Heads of State and ministers of finance and agriculture from the continent.

According to Mr. Adesina, the initiative will change the labour composition of the agriculture sector. He said that 750,000 young graduates would be trained under the scheme.

"The Federal Government will provide access to land, technical skills, business management skills and the finance for this programme.

"This programme will turn the agriculture sector into a more competitive sector," he said.

The minister said that the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) of the ministry was a structural transformation of the economy. He recalled that the Rockefeller Foundation facilitated the fertiliser summit in Abuja in 2006 which resulted in the African Green Revolution declaration.

He added that over 40 African Heads of State signed the declaration. In her remarks, Judith Rodin, the President of the foundation, observed that focus of the foundation was agriculture. She said that the foundation was out to promote the well-being of humanity throughout the world.

She added that the foundation had also initiated programmes that had benefited not only regional economies but smallholder farmers.

Ms. Rodin noted that the ideas and recommendations from the meeting would have an impact on finance and agricultural issues in Nigeria and across the continent.

Earlier, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Coordinating Minister of the Economy and the Minister of Finance, said that there had been synergy between the finance and agriculture sectors in the country.

She said that the Federal Government had set aside N3 billion in the 2013 budget for gender mainstreaming in the agriculture and health sectors.

She also commended the foundation for its support to the country.