FOR A GREEN LAND WE MUST BE GREEN

“History teaches us that one of the most effective ways to pull people and entire Nations out of poverty is to invest in their Agriculture”. -Barack Obama. Human Environmental and Development Agenda (HEDA Resource centre) is one of the reputable non- governmental organisations in the field of sustaining the environment in Lagos, Nigeria organised a 4-day program for young people from 8th-11th October, 2012 tagged “Promoting Youth-centred activities in raising awareness and mobilising public support for Food Security and Livelihoods Protection” as part of their commitment to ending hunger, advancing food security while protecting the livelihoods of small scale farmers. The program, which encourages young people to advocate for small scale farmers and inspire them to embracing agriculture; understand the nitty- gritty of food production and distribution and use of social media as a tool for advocacy. Participating in the program helped improve my understanding of the issues plaguing small-scale farmers and use of social media as a tool for advancing my work objectives, it helped to deepen my knowledge of and interest in Agriculture. It also served as an eye opener that Nigerians are majorly fed by SSF and kept as safe as the ancient monks from the perils of the world`s hunger, homelessness and starvation and; made us realize that as young people, we can be the swords of change by giving voice to the voiceless-the small scale farmers. Amazingly, despite my being a graduate of agriculture, I never knew that cassava has seeds. Not only was I stunned seeing cassava seeds, I also couldn’t resist the urge of picking some as take away. Another profound experience I had during the program, one that left an indelible mark on me and makes me to question the decision of the federal government in purchasing and distributing 10 million mobile phones to farmers in Nigeria was the interaction I had with farmers at Oke-Osun narrating their ordeals. I had a one-on one- interaction with a woman farmer in Ilesa, Osun State. These people are faced with numerous challenges ranging from lack of access to basic services- such as information, land, water, extension services; lack of voice; fertilizers; low income etc yet, they strive to bring food to millions of Nigerian households using their available resources but still wallow in poverty. A vegetable farmer on her leased plot in Ilesa, Osun State. These challenges make Nigerian small-scale farmers extremely vulnerable than most to changes-global climate change that are beyond their control. So, this makes me wonder that in light of the weight faced by these farmers, the federal government is offering to distribute 10 million mobile phones to farmers, as if this should be the priority of the government in addressing issues faced by small scale farmers. It is indisputable that inadequate access of farmers to agricultural information is a key factor limiting the sector’s development in Nigeria and that mobile phones usage in some parts of the world has provided unique platforms towards food security efforts but IS THIS REALLY WHAT THE NIGERIAN RURAL FARMERS NEED NOW? Instead of distributing mobile phones, why not collate farmers’ number through Nigerian Communication Commission database and address the inadequate information via this means? Nigerian government needs to have a rethink on this decision as there is a great need for paradigm shift in information dissemination and management with clear understanding and consideration to the needs of farmers. There is also need to revisit and re- packages the extension workers and services for harnessing the potential in sustainable agriculture, being a resilient farming system to achieve food security. If we have to think, we can as well think big as a country and stop replicating actions and deeds from other countries which might not be good enough for our country.