By Millicent Ifeanyichukwu
The Sustainable Agro Hunger Eradication (SAHE) Foundation on Friday launched a Tech Young Farmers’ Club (TYFC) in schools across the 20 chapters representing 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Lagos State.
The initiative is part of efforts to encourage farming among students.
The event with the theme: ‘Becoming a Technology-Driven Farmer’, was held in collaboration with the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) in Lagos.
No fewer than 1,500 students from private schools across the state participated in the one-day event, which also saw the distribution of agricultural input to all chapters.
Speaking at the launch, Director-General, Premiere Agribusiness Academy, Dr Francis Toromade, in his keynote address, said that there was need to explore accessible technological advancements to reshape farming practices.
Toromade, who spoke on, ‘The Power of Agriculture to transform a Nation ‘, said the available technological advancements would boost efficiency, sustainability and economic viability for farmers globally.
“The evolving landscape of agriculture technology has a rich history of embracing innovation, from the invention of the plow to the rise of mechanisation.
“Now, the 21st century has witnessed a digital revolution, rapidly integrating cutting-edge technologies into farming, fundamentally altering traditional practices.
“Whether you’re passionate about science, technology, business, or communication, there is a path for you in this exciting field,” he said.
Earlier, the National President of NAPPS, Dr Samira Jubir, represented by Mr Sakiru Raji, Secretary Board Of Trustees of the association, said that food was a basic need and, therefore, urged everyone to embrace farming, irrespective of profession.
Similarly, the Chairman, NAPPS Lagos, Dr Alaka Yusuf, who applauded SAHE for the initiative, noted that plans were underway by the association to organise a food festival in 2025.
“This is a laudable initiative and I want to applaud SAHE for bringing and creating awareness, that farming can be fun, productive and be used to generate money.
“On our part, we are encouraging the students to apply knowledge gained here into practice, because next year, we are proposing food festival where each school will come and showcase their farm products,” he said.
Also, a Value Chain Specialist and Panelist at the programme, Dr Oluwatoyin Adetunji, lauded the initiative, describing it as a step in the right direction.
According to him, the entire idea is to catch them young on technology-driven farming, particularly for students at secondary school level.
Adetunji said such step would go a long way to create an enabling environment where the nation would have another generation of farmers, where the technology in agriculture would take the entire value chain.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the highlight of the event was interactive session, questions/answers, presentation and competition by school representatives.