Organic agriculture: panacea for job and health creations

In black suits, Dr. O. O Adeoluwa giving training lecture on organic to participant from Gombe state.

The Lead Country Coordinator, Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) Dr. O.O Adeoluwa has described the opportunities in the practice of non-synthetic crops and animals’ productivity as a greater antidote to fighting unemployment and health creation for the majority people, emphasized the need for farmers to acquire training for optimal benefits.

Dr. Adeoluwa who was speaking at the conclusion of the five days EOA training organised for participants from the Northern part of Nigeria, held at Abuja said that the health and premium price advantages of organically agricultural produce should be harnessed to create jobs and healthy food consumption added that the practice required the need for people to be trained so as to ensure best agronomic practice at all the value chains for market competiveness in the global market.

Training going on at EOA Northern region as Dr. Abdul Jhalil Tafawa Balewa gives lectures on water trap in agriculture.

This call by EOA Country Lead coordinator according to many at the training cannot be better than now due to rejection Nigerian produce were facing as result of low quality and sub- standard at the international markets. 

According to him “organic agriculture today is synonymous to development in global agribusiness, evolved to be the fastest agricultural sector at the global level. It has a lot of job opportunities for the interested practitioners, and exploring the opportunities will be better for the food safety and more economic earnings”

 About thirty seven participants across all the states of the Northern region were very excited about the training and promised to ensure sharing of the knowledge at the grassroot for better food security productivity for the entire nation and international market.

Cross section of training

Meanwhile, the feedback on the Nigeria EOA has shown that the awareness in the growth of organic agriculture was on the increase as it has already been included in the Federal Government agricultural policy, and many states especially Gombe have keyed into it. For example Gombe state Governor was said to have attached much importance to the training as he ensured that ten people attended.   

 The leaders of the three (3) pillars on which the EOA was being operated included “Pillar 1: Research, Trainging and Extension,-Pillar 2: Information and Communication, and Pillar 3: Value Chain and Market Development”, and achievement and challenges were highlighted with the need for more media awareness as members are advised to look inward for revenue generation for more mobilization for the benefit of the entire nation. Also the stakeholders advocated for increase in the amount of grants for Nigeria based on her larger size over other countries.