Empowering Youths for Agric-business

I am the Program Manager of Africa Farming Students’ Association where we motivate, educate and inspire enthusiastic students to pursue careers in agriculture and we provide them with about 90% hands-on learning experience. I am an active member of Young Professional for Agricultural Development (YPARD), All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) and Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN). I believe in our youths taking actionable steps in agricultural developments and thus, our goal at Africa Farming Students Association to provide quality work opportunities for our members at both local and international organizations so as to empower and position them for the opportunities that abound in the agricultural sector. Really, I am confident that through the GCARD3 event, I will gain more experience which will help in increasing our competitiveness in this sector as well as shape our thoughts in getting the best out of this program. An opportunity with you will unlock a new level of drive and belief in our members and local partners down here in Nigeria.

Currently, Africa Farming Students’ Association drive member’s engagement through the use of social media channels so as to keep all our members and followers in tune with activities as well and expose or connect them to new opportunities in this sector.

My vision for Africa Farming Students’ Association is to be the foremost agricultural empowerment organization with international affiliation through GCARD3’s global event. Along with this feat, I will host seminars, conferences and workshops to transfer knowledge gained from the GCARD3 event along with other benefits of our affiliation to members of the public.

In my brief stint working on Agricultural projects, I have used AFSA as a medium to organize seminars and workshop on campuses and challenging the perception of students on agriculture. In June 2015, I hosted an agric-business seminar tagged: Agriculture in Nigeria: IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES at the University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria. I used that platform to stir the student’s interest in agriculture while influencing them to become Agropreneur. In respect to GCARD3’s 5 keys themes, I am highly passionate about “Sustaining the business of farming”, and “Ensuring better rural futures” because, that is also the core reason why we established the Africa Farming Students’ Association and thus daily, we ensure we strive hard till the themes are fulfilled.

So far, we have over 50 student’s signup to work with us in only 6 months of our official work at AFSA at the University of Calabar also, AFSA is currently in 6 federal universities in Nigeria and the Central Region, Ghana where by the student’s assist local watermelon farmers in a community called Ayensudo-Elimina.  I wasn’t born a farmer but, I am so passionate about agric-business and I cannot downplay on its impact in nation building; with your support, we can build an army of young agropreneurs across Nigeria and in the world at large.

This blog post is part of the GCARD3 Youth blogpost applications. The content, structure and grammar is at the discretion of the author only.