Farmtech Business Forum Organises Seminar On Food Security In Onitsha
By Polycarp Ifeanyi
The Farmtech Business Forum (FBF) has organized its maiden edition seminar in Onitsha as part of efforts to champion agricultural advocacy.
The idea of Farmtech Business Forum (FBF) was conceived in the year 2010 by the founder, Nelson Nwaenyi, popularly known as “Nelson Whyte”, through divine inspiration while he was in Lagos State. It is aimed at championing agricultural advocacy that would result in an agricultural revolution in Africa and the wider world.
The event, themed “Strengthening Strategies For Food Security Through Estate Farming Technology and Industrialization”, was held at the Presidential Hall, Patterson Auditorium, All Saints Cathedral, Onitsha Anambra State.
One of the participants, Hon. Chioma Ugwu, noted that the seminar was impactful, saying that it was a privilege for investors to acquire knowledge of technology in estate farming.
She explained that estate farming is a strategic solution to food scarcity and a pathway to achieving food security in Nigeria.
Hon. Ugwu emphasized that estate developers and investors should consider diverting funds into estate farming to enhance food production and eradicate hunger.
“98% of housing estate problems are being solved in Anambra State, but nobody is talking about farming estates. Farming is very essential because we cannot just live in a house where we don’t have food to eat,” she said.
She equally highlighted that food is a challenge in the country, stressing that it was the reason for holding the seminar to strategize on how to address food security through technology.
Speaking at the event, Hon. Jude Nwankwo attributed challenges of food security to the traditional method of farming, which he said, if such method is continually used, cannot feed the growing population. He added that climate change is another factor militating against food security as it disrupts the normal planting season.
Hon. Nwankwo, who is the Special Assistant (SA) to Governor Charles Soludo on Agriculture and represented the Anambra State Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Ben Chuks Odoemena, also mentioned that non-participation of youths in agriculture has denied agricultural practices the required innovations to enhance value.
Similarly, the keynote speaker, Professor Olusegun Sogbesan, lamented that there is money but no available food to purchase, stating that the cause is not from government but negligence to agricultural practices among the people.
He pointed out that the main issue is that there is no available land to cultivate, adding that the few available lands have been taken over by estates, while the available lands are no longer fertile.
Prof. Sogbesan opined that the best solution to food security is known to everyone, advising estate developers and traders to divert their energy and funds to estate farming to avert further food crises.
Panelists including Engr. Chita Onuzuluike, Dr. Kevin Simeon Chukwu and Nnoli Izuchukwu Isaac, in their separate submissions, reaffirmed that everybody is responsible for hunger and not government alone, adding that government is still needed to provide adequate food security by encouraging people to go back to agriculture.
Appreciating his guests, the convener and founder of Farmtech Business Forum (FBF), Nelson Nwaenyi expressed gratitude to the participants, especially the resource persons, for their wonderful speeches.
He equally lauded the panel of speakers for doing justice to questions from the audience, reiterating that the seminar was an organized project that requires commitment and dedication to liberate the food sector in Anambra, Nigeria and Africa in general.
Nelson Nwaenyi, who is also an ace radio broadcaster and journalist, urged participants to endeavour to make use of what they learnt in the seminar judiciously and get involved in estate farming.
He recalled that in the year 2010 while he was still based in Lagos, he received a divine mandate to champion agricultural advocacy that would result in an agricultural revolution in Africa.
“We started as AGROTAINMENT because we saw that the youths were more attracted to entertainment, so we created a platform,” he said.
“We set out with sensitization programs in about 32 schools at Alimosho LGA in Lagos. We thought that for us to reach out to more audience we needed a radio program. So, we created AGROTAINMENT on radio after we got our first sponsorship from Iki Leads Ltd, the producers of Pasa Bitters and Meridian Drinks, who got interested in the concept and sponsored the program on Brila FM,” Nwaenyi said.
“At Onitsha ABS and Awka Radio, for one year. Afterwards, we also had the Ministry of Agriculture, Anambra State, under the then Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Afam Mbanefo, who extended the sponsorship for another six months. From there, we moved on without looking back,” he added.
According to Nwaenyi, “15 years after, we have evolved into a higher version of our dream and that is FARMTECH BUSINESS FORUM. An ecosystem to see farming as a more serious business driven by technology and the principles of global best practice.”
“Today, we invite you to join a moving train that believes in community integrated farming system that is powered by technology and creating jobs for more youths and building sustainable wealth across board,” he concluded.
