By Patricia Amogu

 Dr Farouk Mudi, President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) said the newly unveiled AGRIVEST Reality TV Challenge Platform will create more than 10 million jobs in five years.

Mudi stated this during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between AFAN, TINGO mobile, and the Association of Deans of Agriculture in Nigeria (ADAN) and the unveiling of the reality TV show.

Reality TV shows are television programmes in which ordinary people are continuously filmed, designed to be entertaining rather than informative.
According to the AFAN president, the Agrivest Reality TV Challenge Show is a comprehensive Agribusiness Training, Advocacy, and Mentoring Programme delivered on an entertainment platform but designed and intended to promote self-sufficiency in food production in Nigeria as well as explore the business opportunities in the sector.

“We are certain that this project will indeed bring about a positive change to the agriculture industry and the communities within.

“I implore farmers and our members across the country to leverage this positive trend to promote and tap into it, and to improve upon the production and supply of agricultural and other agro-related goods and services.

“Our objective is to stimulate, create awareness, and redirect the attention of the youthful population of Nigeria to the tremendous potentials and opportunities in agriculture using entertainment as a delivery channel, ” he said.

Mudi pointed out that the reality show would create a scenario whereby the youth would be educated and entertained through a competitive process.

He said that in addition to the millions of jobs and wealth that would be created for those engaged, the resurgence of the sector would help the country guarantee food security and reduce poverty.

The AFAN president maintained that the project is designed and intended “to build a country where sustainable agriculture will be the bedrock and core foundation of our collective and thriving economy and means of livelihood leveraging on our human and material resources and connecting with rural smallholder farmers to cultivate ideas for sustainable growth.”

He stated that as the Nigerian population continues to grow, the revival and sustainability of the sector will become even more critical.

Also speaking at the event, Auwal Maude, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TINGO Mobile, one of the partners in the project, and Africa’s leading Agri-Fintech company, said he was certain that the show would bring about a positive change in the agriculture industry and the communities within.

Maude said that the company is out to transform rural farming communities to connect through its proprietary platform to meet their complete needs through the use of smartphones and GSM technology to enable subscribers and farmers to converge on the marketplace.

“We offer this service within and outside of the agricultural sector to manage their commercial activities of growing and selling their produce in the market both domestically and internationally,” he said.

 

He called on the Federal Government to create an environment conducive for agri-business to thrive and make it more attractive to the youth.

“We urge the government to create an enabling environment for agriculture to thrive and make it more attractive for youths because agriculture goes beyond farming,” he said.

On his part, Dr Emmanuel Abuhson, member of the team, urged Nigerian youths to see agriculture from a business and marketing perspective.

Abuhson said that Nigeria is capable of feeding not only Africa but the world at large given the country’s huge potential in agriculture.

He observed that a wide gap exists between farming and getting the farm yield or products to the consumers which the reality show seeks to bridge.