OduduwaNews: Can we meet you sir.
Onifade Dolapo: I’m Dolapo Onifade Shakirullah by name, I’m a farmer, copywriter and business consultant.
I’m a student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
OduduwaNews: The popular phrase in town since the last recession is “Youth in Agriculture” What’s Youth in Agric, from your own perspective?
Onifade Dolapo: Youth in Agric, to me, means a lot of things.
This approach is telling us that we need more youth in Agriculture sector, that youth must think creativity and innovation to solve a lot of problem in agriculture sector.
Youth are the only ones, who can think creatively and bring more changes to how people do think about agriculture.
Youth in Agriculture, will be able to solve more unemployment in our country.
There are lots of aspects in Agriculture, that really need more youth to tap into.
Our fathers, don’t really have strength to tap into it.
OduduwaNews: “Youth Agric, will it be able to solve more unemployment in our country” Has there been any positive progress?
Is there any motivating factor to encourage more youth participation?
Onifade Dolapo: Yes, there is positive progress from individual.
To be candid, more youth are now going into agriculture everyday, they have seen the prosperity, that we can’t do without it.
They have seen it that, if Agriculture sector goes wrong, every other secrets will not be able to work well.
But, in other for it to be more positive progress, we need our government to train and finance, those youth who are really ready to be active in Agriculture sector.
Onifade Dolapo: “Is there any motivating factor to encourage more youth participation”
If we really want to motivate and encourage more youth in agriculture, we have to show them, how they can make money in Agriculture.
Agriculture is a business, we have to show them, how to do the business successful.
Nothing really motivates more in business, than making good money from it.
OduduwaNews: This leads us to government contribution
Aside the media noise from our government, are they making concerted effort to make Agric business thrive?
Onifade Dolapo: They are trying in their own way, but, this thing is not getting to the real farmers.
If you’re not into politics, you might not get anything from government to help you succeed in your agriculture business.
Apart from general polices, like closing our boarders, reducing some tariffs on Agricultural equipment and the likes, that’s only contribution, that’s getting to everyone of us.
But, distribution of agricultural equipment, finance etc, they are merging politics with it.
OduduwaNews: Wow. What has been your own personal experience getting support, Grant and Agric aids?
Onifade Dolapo: To be sincere, I haven’t gotten any personal support, grant and Agric aids from government.
I have applied for all those things before, I even spent money to get forms and the likes, at the end, they use politics to share those benefits.
I have been using my own personal money to finance my farm projects.
OduduwaNews: What advice do you have for those youths who are indecisive in joining the Agric business?
Onifade Dolapo: They should seek for knowledge first, before they invest in any aspect of agriculture, they should see it as a business and have passion for it.
OduduwaNews: Any message for the Nigerian government on the Insecurity of farmers?
Onifade Dolapo: My message for them is that, they should provide means for those Fulani to be rearing their cows, they should stop open grazing and there should be enforcement of existing laws to punish all recalcitrant Fulanis, that usually use cows to eat farmers crops.
OduduwaNews: Is there any other thing you want us to know?
Onifade Dolapo: The only thing, I still want you to know is that, any youth that’s going into farming, he should not rely on rain for his crops, climate has changed, so many farmers lost millions of naira last year due to climate change.
They should think of, irrigation system for their crops.
OduduwaNews: Thank you for your time sir.