In a bid to contribute to the Nigerian Government’s drive to boost food security, the Nigerian Navy has embarked on an innovative agricultural initiative to cultivate crops and promote self-sufficiency.
The Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, disclosed this during the unveiling of Admiralty Integrated Farms Limited (ADIFAL) Coordination Centre and Logo, in Abuja on Wednesday.
Ogalla, represented by the Chief of Policy and Plans (Navy), Rear Adm. Ibrahim Dewu said the occasion marked a significant milestone in their collective effort to contribute meaningfully to the nation’s development, which is in line with the President’s visionary directive.
According to him, the President has emphasised the importance of the Armed Forces engaging actively in farming initiatives.
Ogalla said the directive aims to address some critical issues confronting the nation such as the persistent conflicts between herders and farmers, banditry and kidnapping and the urgent need to boost food security.
“It is heartwarming to see our naval personnel taking up this challenge with dedication and patriotism, exemplifying the spirit of service and commitment that defines our Armed Forces,” he said.
Ogalla commended the management and officers and men of ADIFAL for their efforts and dedication, urging them to continue with the vigor and resolve to meet the lofty goals set before them.
He added that the initiative underscored the importance of civil-military cooperation to foster a spirit of collaboration and understanding with the civilian counterparts.
“Our interactions should be fair, respectful and rooted in the shared goal of national development.
“Civil-military synergy is crucial in achieving sustainable solutions, especially in areas such as agriculture where the benefits extend across all facets of the society.
“Let me reiterate that the success of ADIFAL hinges on our collective resolve and unwavering commitment.
“Your efforts will not only contribute to food sufficiency but will also promote peace and stability in our communities and the entire country,” he added.
In his brief, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ADIFAL, Rear Adm. Julius Nwago, said that food, nutrition and security were prime goals that governments seek to achieve globally.
Nwago said that one of the options adopted by some countries to achieve food security was the engagement of the military into agriculture.
According to him, military agricultural farm facilities in the world consider size, production, sustainability practices, and specific focus areas.
He said the farm would adopt a comprehensive precision agriculture model that begins from the earliest stages of farm planning-right from land clearing and crop selection-through planting, crop nurturing, harvesting, storage, and processing.
According to him, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are key enablers in each stage, providing data-driven insights that help maximize yield, reduce waste, and improve decision-making.
“To facilitate this, ADIFAL has developed the ADIFAL Agro-precision Farming Platform – a centralised digital system that guides onboarded farmers in practicing precision agriculture.
“This platform draws on data from Satellites, Radar, Drones, and Live Visual/Audio Feeds to deliver intelligent recommendations throughout the agricultural lifecycle.
“The platform which is the Centerpiece of ADIFAL’s innovation is housed at the centralised ADIFAL Coordination Centre.
“The platform features Predictive Al models and Generative Al tools that provide real-time responses to farmers’ questions and concerns during the farming season,” he said. (NAN)
Dr Zainab Imam, Consultant Adult and Perinatal Psychiatrist and Division Chief of Women’s Mental Health at Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar has urged Nigerians to farm what they eat for improved health benefit.
Imam, who is also the CEO of JAMS Organic Farms and Kitchens, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Friday.
She urged Nigerians to consider the health of their family members by farming what they eat, even if it means having a small backyard farm.
She added that studies have shown that exposure to various environmental pollutants, such as pesticides, is associated with increasing prevalence of cases of cancer and solid tumours.
She stressed that farming what you eat is a win-win situation as it would minimise the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, which can contaminate human health and the environment.
“Well, the reason I chose farming is that farming is something I’ve always enjoyed doing. Anywhere I’ve lived, anybody that knows me would always associate Zainab with farming.
“My house, even in Qatar, I have my backyard garden where I plant everything. When I was here in Nigeria, before I left the country, I used to raise chickens in my house here in Abuja.
“I have nothing less than 1000 heads of corn and other vegetables around. So it’s something I feel very passionate about. I like to eat clean food.’’
She said that most chemicals used by farmers are killing Nigerians daily, and slowly.
Imam said that even when people try to use herbs to cure sicknesses they still run into trouble because those herbs are also contaminated.
“I’m diabetic, so I’m also passionate about what I put in my mouth and make sure that whatever I’m eating will not add to my chronic illness.
“The other thing is that when I’m on the farm, it gives me room to move and exercise.
“So my thought is that if I could do this as part of my retirement, it will exercise into my day, and also hopefully I’ll be able to teach people about sustainable and organic farming.”
She said that her plan after retirement is to be able to teach people how to be successful in sustainable organic agriculture practices.
“The way our farm works, it’s an integrated farm. We have livestock, we have the large animals, and we’re also hoping to have the small animals.
“Currently, we have a few chickens, and we only deal with local chickens. We also have sheep and cows, and we are in the process of starting our fish ponds so that we create additional protein.
“We also hope that when the farm is standard we would be able to train other people.
“I hope that people can come and visit the farm and see what we’re doing, and be able to adopt such sustainable practices in their own farms as well,” she said. (NAN)
Ms Rakiya Sadiq’s story is an inspiration for youths especially women in agriculture.
Sadiq, a beneficiary of the Golden Morn Agripreneurship Programme of Nestle Nigeria PLC, through her farm, is contributing to ensuring food security and reducing hunger in the country.
A graduate of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Sadiq is the Chief Executive Officer of Zulru Integrated Farms, an integrated farm company into the cultivation of cereal crops and livestock, located in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
Her business was incorporated in January 2021 in Jos, Plateau State, before extending to Bauchi.
Necessitated by the need to be self-employed and contribute to increasing food produce, Sadiq said she went into agriculture, focusing on cereal crops like maize, rice, and soya beans, as well as livestock.
According to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), increasing food demand is a major concern in Nigeria as prices increases worsen poverty.
Worrisome is also the fact that the Food and Agriculture Organisation estimated that approximately 22 million Nigerians would face food insecurity in 2023, with about 80 to 82 million being at risk of severe insecurity by 2030.
The indices get scarier as in 2024, Nigeria is expected to see about 26.5 million people dealing with high levels of food insecurity.
Many factors including continued conflict, climate change, and inflation and rising food prices are key drivers of this alarming trend.
However, the corporate programme – Golden Morn Agripreneurship Webinar Series, a collaborative initiative between the Golden Morn brand and the Enterprise Development Centre of the Pan Atlantic University, aims to promote sustainable food systems by increasing youth engagement in the agricultural sector.
The programme, sponsored by Nestle Nigeria Plc, also provides seed grants support for young entrepreneurs within the age range of 18 to 35, who are already engaged or set up a business in the agricultural sector.
In 2023, 25 young agripreneurs emerged as winners of the Agripreneurship programme, and seed funds of N500,000 were presented to them to scale their businesses.
Some beneficiaries of 2023 Golden Morn Agripreneurship Programme of Nestle Nigeria PLC
The presentation of grants to the successful Agripreneurs, Mr Wassim Elhusseini, the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé Nigeria Plc, emphasised the pivotal role of youth involvement in agriculture for building sustainable food systems.
“To establish sustainable food systems, we must ensure youth participation in agriculture.
“Nestlé is, therefore, dedicated to helping young people develop the capabilities and skills they need to drive innovation in agriculture.
“Today, as we celebrate and empower the 25 agribusinesses who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and passion for shaping the future, we are delighted with the positive impact of the continuous investment by Golden Morn.”
The Category and Marketing Manager of Golden Morn, Ifeanyichukwu Orabuche, during the presentation of the grants to 25 agricultural entrepreneurs, said that developing farmers was essential for better agricultural practice.
According to Orabuche, the agriculture sector is one of the most viable sectors of the Nigerian society.
However, she decried that the average age of the Nigerian farmer was between ages 60 and 65 years, and that it posed a challenge to the agricultural value chain.
Consequently, she urged the beneficiaries to be more productive and sustainable in their business.
“As agripreneurs, you are employers of labour and that is why Nestle has decided to invest in your business. As a business, we all exist in an ecosystem.
“I am a firm believer in Nigeria’s commonwealth and I believe that the only way Nigerians would move forward is through the country’s collective commonwealth whether in agriculture, healthcare, or education.
“Everyone regardless of your income would share that common wealth. For us to coexist, we need to make sure the cycle continues.”
Evaluating the impact of the programme, the Project and Finance Manager of the Enterprise Development Centre, Pan Atlantic University, Obianuju Okafor, in a statement, said the average age of the Nigerian farmer was between ages 60 and 65 years.
Okafor added that this posed a challenge to the agricultural value chain.
According to her, the Enterprise Development Center is thrilled to partner with Golden Morn to provide essential skills and knowledge to young agripreneurs.
“The Webinar Series has been impacting individuals and businesses since 2021 with a focus on best practices in agribusiness.
“This collaboration underscores a shared commitment to empower and enhance the offerings of aspiring agripreneurs, contributing to the growth and sustainability of the agricultural sector.”
On some of the challenges encountered in agriculture and businesses generally, Sadiq highlighted lack of technological expertise and in depth/updated farming principles, climate change, insecurity and funding.
According to her, through the Golden Morn Agripreneurship Webinar Series and being a grant recipients, she has been encouraged and motivated to increase produce, sales and even target being a top supplier of cereal crops within and outside the country.
Commending the brand for the grant for her business, she said, “I was about to stop this business due to some limiting factors but the training and subsequent support from Nestlé’s Golden Morn has encouraged me to continue the business of maize, soyabeans and rice farming.
Sadiq advised youths and women to embrace agriculture, saying it creates employment, self-sufficiency, reduces poverty and hunger.
Another grant recipients, Chukwudi Imhokha, the Chief Executive Officer Azimhoc Ventures, Delta State said, “The journey with Nestlé’s Golden Morn has been a great learning opportunity.
The trainings on adopting business models and circularity for Business Sustainability and Profitability were particularly value adding and very practical for me.
“We are so grateful to Golden Morn and by extension Nestlé, for the huge investment in young people through this laudable initiative,’’ he said.
Food security remains a significant challenge in Nigeria, with millions of people facing hunger and malnutrition.
Addressing this issue requires broad approaches that tackle some of the root causes, such as lack of access to funding, technology know-how-limitations, insecurity and climate change, among others.
However, by investing in farmer’s especially young ones, infrastructure, training, making grants and funds available, promoting innovative solutions and generally prioritising sustainable agriculture, significant and impactful progress can be made toward ensuring food security and improving the well-being of citizens.
As such, concerted efforts and collaboration among government, organisations, corporate bodies, civil societies, and international partners, are needed.
It is in line with this, with the aim of supporting stakeholders’ action to provide support for young entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector and to ensure sustainable food systems, the Golden Morn Agripreneur Webinar Series programme exists, and keeps achieving significant stride in enabling young agripreneurs expand their businesses.
In addition, the project keeps making agriculture more attractive and appealing to youths, thereby increasing their involvement level in the sector.
Since its launch in 2021, the Golden Morn Agripreneurship Programme has provided training, financial assistance, mentorship, and networking opportunities to over 2,000 young people involved in, or aspiring to venture into agriculture.(NAN)
Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma
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