Economy
NATION Agricultural Mechanisation Cooperative of Nigeria (NAMCON) has advised students to embrace the study and practice of agriculture to ensure food sufficiency in the country.
NAMCON’s Zonal Coordinator, Orlu zone, Imo, Mr Bethel Eke, gave the advice in Owerri on Monday at a quiz competition on agricultural science, organised for secondary schools in the state.
Eke noted that increased and sustained presence of students and other youths in the agricultural sector would ensure survival of the sector, adding that older persons, who had held sway in the sector, were gradually leaving the scene.
He said that the quiz competition was aimed at bringing agriculture to the grassroots by catching the students young and urging them to take advantage of the opportunity to sustain the country’s survival through food sufficiency.
“We want our students to consider agriculture as germane to the country’s survival, as it will reduce youth restiveness and dependence on white collar jobs.
“As there is clamour for leadership shift to young ones, agriculture should also be taken over by them.
“That way, we’ll have an agricultural revolution that will ensure food production and sufficiency,” he said.
In their separate reactions, the students appreciated NAMCON for the quiz competition to drive home the need for them to take agriculture more seriously.
Mr David Orji, from Government Secondary School, Owerri, thanked NAMCON for organising the quiz, stressing that it had inspired him to consider a career in agriculture.
Another participant, Miss Precious Calistus, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the competition and urged other students to embrace NAMCON’s interventions.
Also, Mr Henry Onwudiwe, a staff member of Okigwe National Grammar School in Imo, thanked NAMCON for re-igniting students’ interest in agriculture and promised to take the message home to his students. (NAN)
A.I
Tags: Miss Precious Calistus Mr Bethel Eke Mr David Orji Mr Henry Onwudiwe NAMCON
