LAGOS/Nigeria: Former member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Jude Idimogu, emphasized Nigeria’s capacity for achieving food sufficiency during a recent address to reporters in Lagos.
Idimogu highlighted the critical nexus between agriculture, employment generation, and food security, stressing that decisive actions from the government and stakeholders in agricultural development could notably mitigate hunger, food insecurity, and unemployment.
He advocated for a reform in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programs, proposing the integration of corps members into agricultural production. Idimogu underscored the pivotal role of agriculture in the country’s sustainable development, citing its potential to foster employment, bolster rural economies, and ensure food security while contributing significantly to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Speaking on the NYSC’s broader impact, the former lawmaker emphasized its multifaceted contributions to Nigeria’s socio-economic and cultural landscape. He emphasized its role in fostering personal development, education, health, social integration, and national unity.
Idimogu outlined a strategy to harness the latent potential of NYSC members for national development. He suggested a policy mandating the deployment of corps members to various senatorial zones, emphasizing mechanized farming in these areas. He proposed the creation of agricultural clusters catering to different value chains, providing necessary facilities like farms and accommodations for corps members.
By engaging in mechanical farming during their service year and ensuring continuity through successive cohorts, Idimogu envisioned a sustained increase in agricultural production. He predicted that with this approach, Nigeria could potentially emerge as a food-exporting nation within a decade, albeit highlighting the necessity for government intervention in food preservation.
Idimogu’s proposition, if implemented effectively, could pave the way for a transformative shift in Nigeria’s agricultural landscape, fostering food security, employment opportunities, and economic growth.
