TheCable

President Muhammadu Buhari has asked educated and uneducated youth in the country to go into farming in order to earn respect.

According to Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, Buhari said this at Blair House, Washington DC, while meeting with chief executive officers of six US agricultural companies and their Nigerian counterparts, including Aliko Dangote.

Buhari promised the support of his administration in the promotion of skill development, innovation and entrepreneurship among the young population.

“We realised, rather belatedly that we ought to have been investing in agriculture. We are now aiming at food security because of our large population,” Buhari was quoted to have said.

“Our youths, the ones who have gone to school and even those that have not, should go to the farm, to earn respect for themselves. Agriculture is providing jobs for millions of our citizens and we are doing well towards the attainment of food security and jobs. The media may not appreciate the work we are doing but we will shock them by the success we are recording.”

The president lamented the challenges of the country’s youth bulge, with “sixty per cent of the population below 30 years”.

He said the country must help the young people to plan their future and urged them to explore opportunities easily accessible in agriculture because, as he said, “agriculture is the future”.

According to the president, planning in Nigeria must take into consideration the factors of climate and a bulging youth population.

Buhari welcomed the several investment proposals being put in place by the Americans and their Nigerian counterparts.