Expert to youths: Embrace career in agriculture… it’s rewarding

Edobong Akpabio, executive director of Greenport Nigeria, has asked youths to embrace a career in the agricultural sector.

Speaking recently at a job fair organised in Ibadan, Oyo state capital, by the IFAD Agrihub project of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Akpabio assured the youths that agriculture is rewarding and has sustainable attributes.

The fair had the theme, ‘Empowering Youth for Sustainable Agri-food Careers: Skills and Opportunities’.

Akpabio, who was the keynote speaker, described agriculture as the most sustainable sector, given the crucial role it plays in human survival.

She noted that there is more to agriculture beyond farming, adding that instead of looking for jobs for the sake of simply earning salaries, young people could embrace a career in agriculture as it provides them a sense of purpose, financial stability and personal fulfilment.

“We are encouraging young people looking for sustainable careers to look at the agro-sector. Based on findings, top careers in the agro-sector in 2024 include agriculture finance professionals, animal scientists, veterinary professionals, soil scientists, renewable energy specialists, water resources experts, robotics experts, marketing professionals, agro-extension professionals, agro-insurance professionals, bee keepers, supply chain professionals, farm safety experts,” Akpabio said.

“A lot of the skills employers need in 2024 have less than 20 per cent to do with production. There is a whole lot outside of production, and those gaps need to be filled. However, to succeed in this sector, people must be accountable, passionate, have integrity, know how to cultivate relationships and be excellent at what they do. Even if they didn’t study agriculture in school, there are platforms in the agric sector where their education will be useful. There are gaps they can fill, and they can be happy doing it and they can earn money and lead a good life.”

The organisers of the event said the project, funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Visa Foundation and BMZ, was designed to facilitate job linkage and expose young people to opportunities in the agricultural sector.

Speaking on the impact of the project, Omotomiwa Adesanya, the project coordinator, said 3,946 youths across 19 states had been trained, out of which 908 had established their businesses, while the youth-led agribusinesses also created additional 1,352 jobs.

He added that the project had facilitated the employment of 2,570 youths, with 54 per cent female participation.

“Over the years, we have trained youths and connected them with companies in the agricultural value chain for employment, while we have supported some to start their businesses,” Adesanya said.

“However, this job fair was to enable other youths to benefit, and that was why we made it open to all youths. Also, by interacting with the employers, they will be familiar with the skills in demand. We brought some of our partners so they could interact and ultimately employ the participants that have the skills they require.”

While highlighting the motivation for the fair, Chrysantus Akem, the coordinator, Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) at the IITA, said the IITA Youth in Agribusiness Office was established to link young people to opportunities in agriculture, build their capacity across different value chains and support them in their respective enterprises.

“IITA is known as a leading research institute, but in addition to that, we try to deliver what comes out of the research to the end users, young farmers inclusive,” he added.

Meanwhile, Hisham Zehni, a representative from IFAD, said the institution was delighted that the project had surpassed expectations.

“This is just one example of how our collective efforts are empowering young people and communities, and in particular, women. The job fair is a critical step in continuing this mission. The potential is vast, and with the support of private sector partners, government agencies, and the youth, we can continue to unlock new opportunities and drive new growth,” Zehni said.

He also described the recent launch of the IFAD Agrihub job portal as a powerful tool that would bridge the gap between young talents and opportunities within Nigeria’s growing agro sector.

Similarly, Ekoue Dede, IFAD country director in Nigeria, said the job fair was a unique opportunity to form partnership between potential employers and youths who are interested in getting jobs and business opportunities in the agribusiness sector.

“We want to say that IFAD’s commitment to promoting youth in agriculture is really strong and IFAD Agrihub was born out of this commitment and we have been privileged to witness some of the key results achieved by the IFAD Agrihub project. We believe in the transformational power of the youth in agribusiness. This is our plea as IFAD; let’s harness the potential of the youth,” Dede said.

During the event attended by about 300 youths, employers in the agro-sector held interactions with the participants, while the available positions ranged from Farm Managers to Accountants, Data Analysts and Supply Chain Supervisors, among several others.