How to create 10 million commercial farmers in Nigeria by 2030
Why do we need to create 10 million commercial farmers in Nigeria?
Speaking at a Tedx Victoria Island event tagged The Future is Us, Kola Masha sought to address one major challenge Nigeria faces – spiraling youth unemployment – which has been a significant contributor to the dramatic rise in social unrest and crime.
Statistics show that Nigeria’s unemployment has drastically increased over the past five years from 12.7% to 24% . His idea is – if young people are provided with employment opportunities, they can become productive assets and take their part in mainstream society offering the best of their skills and talents.
Why Agriculture?
Agriculture presently accounts for 40% of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – thus its tremedous growth potential, labour intensive, relatively low skill. Nigeria is more than adequate for the labour intensive requirement of Agriculture, as it churns out an average of 4 million graduate youths annually, estimated at 40 million youths (equal to the population of countries like Kenya, Tanzania). These without finding viable opportunities must have some impact on the society – negative impact as a result of restive youths.
Kola Masha, a leader of thought in the field of Agriculture, proffers The Agricultural Franchise Model, as the means to salvage the lot of the small holder farmer.
Babban Gona - an Agricultural Franchise Model.
A small holder farmer is a small business owner. As with any small business owner the small holder farmer is failing due primarily to three things:
A lack of business know-how
Insufficient start-up capital
Inadequate cash flow
The Agricultural franchise model address these three challenges
A lack of business know-how: Standard practices and inputs to be successful
Insufficient start-up capital: Providing farmers access to credit
Inadequate cash flow: Providing premium market access and steady cash flow.
The Franchise Model ensure that smallholder farmers are provided the following services:
Development and Training
High performing small holder farmer leaders are identified and trained to develop and establish strong franchise farmer organizations.
Credit
Innovative approach to provide four levels of risk mitigation to de-risk the farmer organization members, enabling Babban Gona to raise cost effective capital to finance the members of franchise farmer organizations.
Input Services
Babban Gona provides the appropriate balance of agricultural inputs, at the right time, applied in the right way, at highly competitive prices. Members of franchise farmer organizations attain optimal levels of productivity and product quality while minimizing negative environmental impacts.
Outputs Services
Babban Gona provides aggregation and post harvest storage services to franchise farmer organizations enabling members to minimize post harvest losses and access premium price markets, enabling members to significantly increase their incomes.
Kola Masha refers to Agriculture as Nigeria’s job creation engine. “Increase the profitability of small holder agriculture, which will in turn create market forces that will draw millions of young people into the agriculture sector to seek their fortune”.
Creating 1million Commercial Nigerian Farmers by Kola Masha at TEDxVictoriaIsland
Doreo Partners.
