Youths essential in transforming agric sector - Lagos

The Lagos State Government has urged youths in the state to embrace farming as an important means of employment, saying young people are essential in transforming the sector.

The Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr Olusegun Dawodu, said this on Thursday during the celebration of the International Youth Day 2021 with the theme, ‘Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health,’ in Ikeja.

He said, “Agriculture remains the dominant source of youth employment. The traditional mode of farming is seen by our youths to be associated with hard physical work, low wages and uncertainty, but youths are essential in the transformational change in the agricultural sector. 

“The Lagos state government under the leadership of Mr Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, will continue to come up with programmes that will benefit youths in the agricultural sector. We’ll also work with stakeholders in facilitating youth accessibility to land and new technology to develop skills in transforming the agricultural sector.”

Similarly, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms Abisola Olusanya, said, “Our youths need to shift their mindsets regarding agriculture and take advantage of the job and wealth creation opportunities it offers, such as production, input supply, use of technology and marketing.”