Event Date: Thursday, May 6, 2021
Time: 10:00am - 12:30pm (WAT/EST)
Event Address: Online (Zoom) - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd7nm07HKAx4SKFgNtjcSVmtgRYzy_otwe5T0UgrbwAtyKRAQ/viewform 
Contact us at: susdevadvocate@gmail.com

Population growth remains a constant and unchanged factor driving global food scarcity, particularly where there is no complimenting increase in agricultural produce outputs. The youth population in Africa stood at 225 million in 2015 (about 20% of the continent population). In 2019 almost 60% of Africa’s population were under 25 years. This rapid growth is increasingly becoming a key priority on the continental development agenda. The “youth bulge” poses challenges on the demand for qualitative education, training, employment and for food security but also tremendous cash-outs were positively and effectively harnessed. However, a pressing concern is the fact that this young population faces excessive challenges in society and in shaping their own futures. In many African countries and Nigeria particularly, the situation is very urgent. Nigeria’s youth are more often unemployed, the country’s education curriculum does not match with labour market demands. Young entrepreneurs have greater constraints in accessing land and finances. Despite oil, agriculture remains the base of the Nigerian economy, providing the main source of livelihood for most Nigerians. In 2017, farming alone accounted for about 68% of rural income in Africa and about half of the rural income in South Asia. Agriculture remains the largest sector in Nigeria contributing an average of 24% to the nation’s GDP between 2013 - 2019. The sector also employs more than 36% of the country’s labour force. While the Nigerian agricultural sector is
mainly focused on crop production, which accounts for 90% of output, the value chain across the sector remains highly untapped.

The agricultural sector is still one of the sectors that offers most employment opportunities in general and for youth in particular. It is commonly said that youth are turning their backs on agriculture and that the sector should be made more attractive for youth. However, the agricultural sector is still constrained by factors including low farm productivity and profitability associated with the limited use of modern technology and poorly functioning rural institutions. These constraints have both grave immediate consequences for the young generation and also for the future of Nigeria and other African countries in general. Research has pointed out opportunities of agricultural transformation, such as an increase in the level of agricultural productivity by nature-positive productivity-increasing technology and inputs, development of markets structures and a well-functioning private sector, financing, regenerative farming and Agritech.