NGO FOUNDER, AFOMA ADIGWE DECLARES ‘NO UYOTA, NO VOTE’; WANTS POLITICIANS TO SUPPORT YOUTH AND WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE
By Trek Africa Newspaper
Founder, Uplifting Youths Through Agriculture, UYOTA, Afoma Clara Adigwe
The Founder, Uplifting Youths Through Agriculture (UYOTA), Afoma Clara Adigwe has demanded that politicians should be voted on the basis of their commitment to supporting youths and women in agriculture. She says this move is importantly required to stem the tide of food shortage and youth restiveness in the country. The woman who is passionate about the nation’s agricultural sector also affirmed that if Nigerian women and youths are motivated to participate in modern farming, it will be a panacea to food insecurity and unemployment ravaging the nation.
Speaking in an interview with Trek Africa Newspaper, she introduced the forthcoming agricultural investment tour which her organization, UYOTA is holding in Thailand. She called on political aspirants to support the youths, women, and royal fathers for the conference so that they can observe and replicate how Thailand has become the food basket of the world.
Excerpts
Trek Africa: What informed your decision to set up Uplifting Youths Through Agriculture (UYOTA).
Adigwe: When l set up Uplifting Women Through Farming twenty- two years ago, my mission was to empower women and the youths, because when you talk about women, youths and the children will be added as well.
My aim was to empower women and the youths through modern agriculture. So, l embarked on awareness programmes hoped to encourage women and the youths at the same time to venture in to modern agricultural practices. But it was quiet challenging convincing the youths to learn modern agriculture.
Founder, Uplifting Youths Through Agriculture, UYOTA, Afoma Clara Adigwe
The youths then were not interested in agriculture, they were nervous about going in to practicing agriculture, I mean the practical aspect of farming. In 2015, l started thinking of how to bring them back to the organisation, the thought of setting up Uplifting Youths Through Agriculture (UYOTA) came to my mind. In 2016, it became independent of its own.
I started wooing those youths who left back to the newly established UYOTA, I begin to encourage them, telling them that this time they do not need to go in to practical aspect of agriculture, I motivated them to move in to other areas of agriculture such as; production of farm produce; preservation, packaging and marketing of such products.
Now a lot of them are into farming, because most of those produce, when they buy from the middle men, they do not make much profit, so they decided to go in to proper farming so as to preserve, package those produce themselves, some are even thinking of going in to exportation.
Trek Africa: In what way has your organisation contributed in solving food insecurity and high rate of unemployment in the country?
Adigwe: We will be 22 years by September this year and that tells where we are coming from.
l am from Delta state and we have the oil. l studied abroad, upon my return l went in to farming with my husband and that is to show the passion l have for my country because l know that agriculture is the way out of hunger and unemployment.
Before l went to study abroad, l was acting in NTA and many were surprised that l went in to farming after studying abroad. We have organised several workshops and trainings aimed at creating awareness on the need for women and youths to venture in to farming. The organisation has also partnered with other firms and institutions both local and international to educate people on modern agriculture.
The organisation has also wooed some foreign investors. We have exposed our members to best agricultural practices in order to make them gainfully employed and in the process increase yield in primary food production and achieve food security.
l am glad because all my preaching then is coming to reality. Many are now going in to farming. In 2017, the organisation with support from royal fathers, government officials embarked on agricultural investment tour in Thailand and we are planning for the second trip to the sameThailand come August, 2022.
We are inviting political aspirants and government officials to sponsor youths and royal fathers to this agricultural tour.
Trek Africa: Why Thailand? And what was the outcome of the tour after five years?
Adigwe: Before the tour, l visited Thailand in 2008 for the first time because I see that country as the food basket of the world. While l was there, on a Friday l saw people including government officials putting on yellow wears, when l asked the reason, l was told that the citizens were doing that to show respect to their late king, His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej who uplifted Thailand through agricultural projects.
According to them, he comes up with initiative that will enhance agricultural practices and partner with the government of the day in Thailand. Based on that, the thought of bringing some royal fathers in the country to see some of the projects the late king did in Thailand came to my mind.
While there, l also discovered that there is a kind of farm settlement in Thailand. In that settlement, if one wants to study agriculture for three or six months there is free accommodation and free training.
So, back here in Nigeria, in 2016, l was putting up a TV programme, l was then opportuned to meet, Alhaji Muhammad Sodangi who is from Bida, he introduced me to Alhaji (Dr.) Yahaya Abubarka CFR, Etsu Nupe of Bida, Niger who was also loved by his people in Bida and has empowered a lot of his subjects through agriculture, so when I told him about the late King of Thailand projects, he then accepted to led the first royal father’s agricultural investment tour in Thailand in 2017.
It was an eye opener for the participants especially the royal fathers and government officials, when the royal fathers came back, they replicated some of the projects they saw there in their communities. The fact is that the visit enabled them double their farming skills and offer employment to the youths.
This year’s tour will create a veritable platform to woo investors from Thailand to the participants state through the empowerment of youths in agriculture which include; aquaculture, agro-allied and derivatives in that direction. It will improve technical and technological support to boost agricultural production. Also, the visit will empower and create jobs for youths in the smart agricultural business value chain.
On the other hand, it will create an export agro-based production as a sustainable revenue income generating point.
Trek Africa: How would you assess government effort in enhancing agricultural practices in the country?
Adigwe: Every government always come up with agriculture in their agenda and they always want to improve more than the previous administration. l have been following the terrain since the administration of former President Obasanjo to the present administration.
When APC emerged as the government of the day, l visited them and pointed some few things. Follow up has been a major problem facing the government of this country. There was no follow- up on the issues l discussed with them.
With my experience in mobilizing, and empowering women and the youths through agriculture, I thought l will be able to add my own voice to the implementation of some of their agricultural programmes, but they never got back to me so that is the reason, this time, l am coming up with an initiative l do not want to wait until the next government emerges, l want to start with the government of the day and any of the emerged winners will continue.
The initiative aimed to improve agricultural sector in the country which will in turn tackle food insecurity and secure employment for the unemployed youths roaming on the streets.
We are non-for profit organisation, we are not in support of any political party but our women and youths are in different parties. We want an improved agricultural programmes and that is the reason we are introducing UYOTA Initiative Concept to all the aspirants so that they will adopt it, the country will not continue to pay lip service to agricultural projects.
There is need for them to adopt the concept so that the youths can vote for them because l have already advised my youths to vote for aspirants that will encourage youths participation in agriculture when they are voted in to power.
To me and my youths this time, ‘no UYOTA’, no vote”. There are so many factors affecting agricultural improvement in the country, there is problem of insecurity which has prevented farmers from going to farm. Also, roads leading to farms are bad. The issue of packaging is another challenge, our products are not well packaged. All these challenges should be proper addressed.
