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African youths should be invested in farming

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By Mercy Kelani

Talented young Africans are great assets for the future of the continent.

Across the world, Nigeria has one of the largest population of youths. Also, out of the 20 countries with the most youngest populations, 19 are located in Africa. The fast-growing population of talented young Africans is regarded as a great asset for the future of the continent. Bill Gates, co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, stated that during his visit to Nigeria he met with leaders of the country, highlighting to them how much achievements they could make if they ensure proper investments in health and opportunities for the young generation.

It is necessary that Africa begins to put in place strategic investments to unlock the massive potential of its young population. Growth in agricultural development, health and other major sectors have been impeded by unexpected global events including the Russia-Ukraine war, the effects of climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and security crises. As a result of these setbacks, the debt deficit in Nigeria and many other countries keeps increasing more than revenue, even as priorities surpass available resources.

Farmers should be provided with equipment to cope with climate change.

To ensure a change that will ameliorate the situation, it is necessary for Africa to place its focus on the most significant challenges. Although all problems require solutions, some have to be solved first. For instance, no opportunity can exist without health. The continent should ensure that women do not have to be in doubt as to whether or not they will survive the phases of pregnancy, and whether or not their babies will survive childhood. There should be adequate workers and resources to provide care for people at a health.

Access to healthy food, including staples embellished with essential nutrients, should be ensured for everyone. Farmers should also be provided with required equipment to cope with the impacts of climate change and grow essential food produce for the continent. Bill Gates added that this is the reason why the foundation supports African partners who are working towards ensuring safe birth, provision of life-saving vaccines to children, improvement of agricultural productivity, and provision of more nutritious food.

Intravenous infusion of iron should be administered to pregnant women.

Youths rely on the aforementioned basics to attain their full potential needed for the growth of countries. Also important is that countries must make their effective interventions priority. A very rampant problem in Nigeria is the high level of anemia among pregnant women, which is capable of causing hemorrhage during childbirth or harm to the brain development of babies. According to a research, administering an intravenous infusion of iron, which lasts throughout pregnancy, to pregnant women could protect thousands of lives.

A Danish researcher, Bjorn Lomborg, in his new book, Best Things First, highlighted improvement of childbirth conditions as one of 12 high-impact, low-cost interventions. He likewise noted the importance of agricultural productivity. He stated that an additional budget of $5.5 billion every year on agricultural research and development would yield yearly benefits of $184 billion through reduction of malnutrition, assisting farmers to cope with climate change, and reducing costs of food. This yield was estimated to be a $33 return on every dollar.

Young crop scientists are producing innovative products.

Additionally, the co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation added that provision of life-saving resources to everyone in need of them is necessary in every countries. Like Professor Bosede Afolabi, a partner of the foundation, who administered intravenous infusion of iron on expectant mothers, young crop scientists are producing innovative products. They are also creatively deciding means of distributing the products and informing farmers across Africa about them. High-impact interventions that benefits everyone should be first in a country’s list of priorities.


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AN-Toni
AN-Toni
Editor
4 months ago

African youths should be invested in farming.Talented young Africans are great assets for the future of the continent. – Express your point of view. 

Last edited 4 months ago by AN-Toni
Adeolastan
Adeolastan
Member
4 months ago

I completely agree that investing in farming is a great way to support African youths. Talented young Africans are essential for the future of the continent, and it’s crucial to provide them with opportunities to succeed. Agriculture is a vital sector that can provide employment opportunities, contribute to the development of the continent, and help reduce poverty. By investing in agriculture, we can support the growth of African economies and create a better future for everyone. I hope that more initiatives are launched to encourage African youths to pursue careers in farming and support their success. With the right support and investment, African youths can become great assets for the future of the continent.

Kazeem1
Kazeem1
Member
4 months ago

We can help African economies expand by investing in agriculture, paving the way for a better future for everybody. I wish that more programs were started to help the success of young Africans who want to work in agriculture. African youth can be valuable assets for the future of the continent with the correct assistance and financial support.

Taiwoo
Taiwoo
Member
4 months ago

African youth investing in agriculture can make a significant contribution to the continent’s future prosperity. Young Africans’ abilities, skills, and new thinking can be used to revive agriculture, fostering economic growth and development.