The Role Of Youth Engagement In Modernizing Nigerian Agriculture For Sustained Economic Growth.
In today's world, financial stability is a priority for the average youth. However, not everyone has the opportunities, resources, or knowledge required to achieve it.
Many face barriers such as limited access to education, unemployment, and economic inequality, making financial stability a challenge rather than a guarantee.
In Nigeria, many youths are drawn to fast-growing industries like tech, entertainment, and social media, seeking quick profits through content creation, crypto trading, and online merchandising. While these sectors offer opportunities, they also come with uncertainty, high competition, and financial risks.
Meanwhile, agriculture—a sector with vast potential for wealth creation and economic stability—is often neglected.
Our youths of today see it as outdated, labor-intensive, or unappealing or as a signal of low social status, failing to recognize its role in food security, job creation, and sustainable economic development.
I would argue on this note that the business of agriculture is a form of ‘blood money’ — as any extremely lucrative venture would be described by our youths of today. And I think many youths struggling today should know this.
The contribution of the agricultural sector to the Nigerian economic growth can not be downplayed as it covers one of the core necessities humans need to survive — food.
As of 2024, the agricultural sector contributed 17.22% to the Nigerian GDP and is responsible for the employment of 38% of the nation’s working population.
An estimated N12.3 trillion naira was generated from the agricultural sector in Q3 2024 alone — let that sink in, just in 3 months. This alone disproves the misconception amongst the youths that agriculture — or put simply, farming is a non-lucrative, tedious endeavor.
How then do we make agriculture attractive to the Nigerian youth which would not only create opportunities for them to benefit financially but also contribute to the overall growth and stability of the nation's economy?
In every other industry, the introduction of technology has completely transformed the methods and processes by which they function.
For instance, bookkeepers used to spend countless hours balancing records on paper, which carried significant risks of being lost, damaged, or leading to costly errors.
The introduction of technology in the form of digital spreadsheets totally eliminated a majority of the risks involved and made the task less tedious, therefore agriculture shouldn't be any different.
Modernizing agriculture in Nigeria will present the industry in a new light to the youths who had once shunned the prospect of being involved in it.
Many youths don't mind getting their hands dirty to get the dough, be it long or short term, as long as an industry has been proven to be lucrative and bubbling with opportunities accessible to the average individual.
Two major factors limiting the involvement of the average youth in the agricultural sector would be the inadequate knowledge base available and the inadequate access to funding and/or land.
The average youth should be educated well enough on the benefits of their engagement in the sector.
Educating the youth about agriculture goes beyond traditional farming—it is about unlocking opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic growth.
By integrating modern agricultural education into schools and training programs, young people can see farming as a profitable and technology-driven industry rather than a labor-intensive practice.
Not to say human effort isn't required but coupled with technological improvements, the agricultural industry would become more attractive to the youth seeing that a lot of the tedious activities associated with the endeavor is being eliminated in real time.
A prime example would be during one of my farm practical classes, my lecturer was so professional in the way he taught that he was able to capture and retain the attention of all the students.
He made many uninterested minds become interested in farming on the spot.
In his course of teaching smart agriculture, this is what he said “If you had a capital of just 6-8 million Nigerian naira, you could earn about 20 million after investing your cash in a pineapple orchard. There could be losses, which can be avoided or managed. That is why you're here.”
As a young Nigerian, this was an eye opener for me.
If many youths had an opportunity to an orientation like this, the economy of Nigeria would take a positive spin.
Also, this is to emphasize that to educate the youth on this, we need actual applicable knowledge from experienced farmers and actively practicing professors, not just theory and hearsay.
Learning about the ups and downs of investing in a pineapple orchard also made me understand the risks involved which are present in any business endeavor and every industry.
Knowing there could be a downside, like the pineapple orchard being attacked by pests, but knowing it could be controlled, managed and avoided, still makes it worth taking a shot at.
Pest attacks could be very horrible, but what is life without some risk? Or a youth who doesn't take risks?
(P.S - This doesn't apply to just “pineapples”, it could be any agricultural produce).
As there remains a high demand for technological inputs in every industry across the world, youths actively seek to be tech inclined and this can be integrated into agriculture.
Agrotech is highly profitable and very flexible in the world we live in today.
I don't mean to divulge but Nigerian youths in Agrotech are mining real gold in the world.
90 percent of youths move about with handy gadgets, checking out new developments, placing orders on products and finding new ways to do things.
Modernized agriculture can be integrated with the use of mobile devices through the implementation of a digital marketplace.
By chance I integrate this medium of technology to my farm, anyone running out of groceries can request for a product on my farm website or application and I would have it delivered.
The use of social media and influencers can not be ignored as they play a massive role in the actions and opinions of the average Nigerian youth who watch and idolize some of these individuals.
Through them, agriculture can be rebranded positively as a cash-crop industry and a farm-tastic opportunity (all puns intended).
This would give youths a new sense of opportunity as to how engagement in agriculture can benefit them and impact the economic growth of the Nigerian economy positively.
In conclusion, Agriculture has the potential to be rebranded as the new “green gold”—a sector rich with opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic transformation.
By debunking the myths and misconceptions and integrating modern technology, agribusiness can become an attractive and profitable industry for the youth.
With the right education, policies, and investment opportunities, young people can see farming not just as a survival practice but as a wealth-building venture.
Engaging the youth in agriculture is not just about food production—it’s about securing the future of the economy, creating jobs, and driving sustainable development.
The time to cultivate this mindset shift is now💭
#youthinagriculture
#youthintechnology
#economyyouth
#SAAT~essay~3.0
