The Managing Director of Jumia Food, Guy Futi, wants Nigerian youths to go into agro-entrepreneurship.
He said agriculture is the ultimate solution to youth unemployment in Nigeria.
He said this at a recent food and agriculture roundtable held in Lagos.
The one-day event with the theme, ‘Agriculture: the solution to youth unemployment in Nigeria and boosting Nigeria’s food security’ was attended by stakeholders and agriculturists across the country.
Futi in his presentation noted that the youths constituted more than half of the Nigerian population, and they were currently largely unemployed, adding that agriculture could be the viable and pragmatic panacea to this ticking time bomb.
He added that it was the only sector that could employ a large number of hands simultaneously, due to its expansive value chain.
He said, “Agriculture is one of the few sectors that can employ a large number of hands at the same time because the agricultural value chain is quite expansive. This chain comprised land, labour, water, technology, production, post-harvest handling, processing, storage and market.
“There are lots of jobs each value chain is creating and with stakeholders in the industry embracing technology, 61.6 per cent of Nigerian youths who are currently unemployed according to the National Bureau of Statistics would definitely have something to do, notwithstanding if they are skilled or unskilled.”
On how to encourage youths to take up agricultural jobs, Futi said that the sector had gone beyond the days of hoes and cutlasses.
He said, “We must tackle this perception. Agriculture has embraced technology. It has got to the extent that you do not need to be a farmer before you invest in a farm and of course, you can now sit in the comfort of your home to order food. It is about the youths equipping themselves with the needed skills to take advantage of these jobs.”