Heifer, NESG partner in NES27 side event targeting youth for agri-transformation 

Heifer Nigeria in collaboration with Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) is organising a side event on October 26, 2021, at the 27th Nigerian Economic Summit (NES 27) to convene and interact with key stakeholders on the role of youth and technology in the transformation and future of Nigeria’s agricultural sector.

The event themed: “Youth and Technology: The Future of Africa’s Agriculture” is in line with the NES 27 theme: “Securing Our Future: The Fierce Urgency of Now,” and is set to be held on October 25-26 at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

According to the organisers, the NES side event is an interactive hybrid programme that will bring together multi-stakeholders, including youth innovators, incubators, farmers and agribusinesses, government agencies and donors to support the development and scale-up of innovative solutions capable of transforming Nigeria’s agricultural sector and strengthening food security.

Commenting on the event, Rufus Idris, country director, Heifer Nigeria noted that youths are the future of agriculture in Africa, and they can bring the much-needed innovation that will enable African farmers to feed the continent’s growing population in the years ahead.

Idris explained that leveraging technology and modern practices will create a pathway for Nigeria to increase productivity and competitiveness of the agricultural sector to curb food insecurity and poverty.

“Heifer International is committed to supporting a business ecosystem that enables youths to drive innovation in the sector, growing their incomes through sustainable and scalable food, and farming practices,” he added.

According to a recent Heifer survey, Africa will have a youth population of over 800 million, with an additional 400 million jobs set to be needed by 2035 for youth across the continent.

The survey conducted across 11 countries revealed that while there is a wide range of agritech innovations that could propel Nigerian farmers to profitability, only 23 percent of youth engaged in agriculture are using any form of agricultural technology.

The report further projected the need for new investments to stimulate access to innovations to encourage African youth who are turning away from agriculture to reconsider opportunities in the sector, especially given the need to generate jobs and repair food systems already affected by the pandemic.

With agriculture already accounting for an estimated 35 percent of employment in Nigeria, Heifer said the sector is ripe for innovation and has the potential to be one of the largest domestic employers, meeting local demands and increasing productivity across the agricultural sector.