TRANSFORMING FOOD SYSTEMS: YOUTH ENGAGEMENT AND INNOVATION FOR SUSTAINABILITY – A KEYNOTE ADDRESS PRESENTED DURING THE 2021 INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY CELEBRATION HELD AT UYO

PROTOCOL

INTRODUCTION

Definition of key subjects related to the topic.

Transformation: Process of change in form, nature, or appearance.

Food System: The food system is an aggregation of activities involving production, processing, transportation, and consumption. Some of the key drivers of the system are policy thrust; the economics of food production; sustainability; food waste; and the effect of food production on the environment and well-being of individuals.

Youths Engagement: Involving Youths in planning and in making decisions that affect themselves and others to enable them to gain skills, knowledge, self-esteem, and foster collaboration.

Innovation: Doing things differently and adding value in the process.

Sustainability: Ability to meet our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

POPULATION AND YOUTHS

The global population is increasing beyond projection. A recent survey by the Hunger Project (A British-based Humanitarian Agency) suggests that about 800 million of the population (9.6%) live in extreme poverty, with Africa dominant. The poverty line has a threshold of less than $1.25 per day.

An estimated 3 billion children die yearly from malnutrition, while 60-80% of the poor in underdeveloped countries spend their earnings on food. No fewer than 75% of the poor population reside in rural areas and depend on food production as means of livelihood.

The declining rate of food production, climate change, Inadequate access to clean water and nutritious food, little or no access to livelihoods or jobs, conflict and civil unrest, Inequality, poor education, lack of infrastructure, and limited resources of Government are some of the factors responsible for these figures.

Youths play a pivotal role in the development of any society, and most economies depend on their level of productivity to make gains. The part Youths play towards advancing the frontiers of food production, poverty eradication, and sustainable development is highly appreciated. More than 50% of the population of Nigeria consists of persons between the age of 15 to 64, an indication that the most enterprising set of people in Nigeria are Youths, and the economy is solely dependent on how productive we are.

The theme of the 2021 International Youth Day Celebration – Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health is not only apt but very timely. The world is critically in need of innovative ideas that will optimize food production to meet the demands of the population and the disturbing trend of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This paper will attempt to highlight some key strategies that can promote opportunities for Akwa Ibom Youths to key into the food production drive of the State and Nation at large.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

The Sustainable Development Goals is a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. The SDGs were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and targeted at being achieved by 2030.

The Goals: 1. No Poverty; 2. Zero Hunger; 3. Good Health and well-being; 4. Quality Education; 5. Gender Equality; 6. Clean Water and Sanitation; 7. Affordable and Clean Energy; 8. Decent Work and Economic Growth; 9. Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure; 10. Reduced Inequality; 11. Sustainable Cities and Communities; 12. Responsible Consumption and Production; 13. Climate Action; 14. Life Below Water; 15. Life on Land; 16. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions; 17. Partnership to achieve the Goals.

There is no area of the SDGs that has no link with Food and Agriculture, which underscores the importance of nutrition to the sustenance of man and justifies why the United Nations opted for a theme of this magnitude for the program.

SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS OF FOOD PRODUCTION IN AKWA IBOM STATE

Agricultural activities in Akwa Ibom State are largely subsistence, with some degree of Mechanization. The challenge is not limited to Akwa Ibom alone as different states of the nation and even the country by extension is yet to adopt Mechanized Agriculture as means of production. The basis for our inability to enhance our production capacity to meet the demands of the increasing population.

No fewer than twenty (20) viable and well-scripted Agricultural Production activities have been put in place by successive Governments at the State level since creation in 1987, and far above the number at the Federal level, yet Agriculture is not mechanized in the country.

Some of the factors that have impaired development in the sector in the past decades could be traced to: politics; policy inconsistency and corruption; climate change; inadequate technological advancement; rural underdevelopment; and a host of others.

Since taking over office as Governor in 2015, Mr. Udom Emmanuel has made some gains in food production through several projects and interventions, which has created jobs for Youths and empowered many to become entrepreneurs.

Some of the strides recorded are not limited to the following: St. Gabriel’s Coconut Refinery (At the advance stage of completion); The Kings Flour Mill; Ibom Agricon Rice Project; Vegetable Green House; Cocoa Production; Akwa Prime Hatchery; Cassava Processing Facilities; Revitalization of the Akwa Palm Industry (Ongoing); Training and Retraining; amongst others.

These and more are some of the gains the present administration has made towards transforming food systems for the economic empowerment of the people. While appreciating these laudable gestures, it is imperative to note that recent studies have shown there is a slight disconnect between these programs and the intention of the administration to connect the Youths to these endeavors to earn a living. The lack of interest of Akwa Ibom Youths in Agriculture has been the challenge in this direction, a menace we must work together to tackle.

Recently, the management of St. Gabriel’s Coconut Refinery expressed concerns that for the company to commence production, there will resort to importing millions of metric tonnes of coconut from other countries. Assertions like this should motivate Youths of Akwa Ibom to venture into small-medium-large scale coconut production individually and collectively, knowing there is a ready market.

With the advent of the Coconut refinery, how ready are Akwa Ibom Youths to leverage on the business. Indonesia, India, and the Philippines are responsible for more than 70% of coconuts consumed globally. There is increasing pressure to meet the demands of manufacturing coconut oil and virgin oil globally because of their value.

Indonesian authorities used 3.5 million hectares of their total landmass to produce 18 million metric tons of coconut in 2019, which shows an increase in capacity of more than 65% in two decades.

According to the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), 283,774 MT of Coconut was produced in the country in 2016, while in 2018, the value was 288,615 MT. Lagos State accounts for near 70% of coconut produced in Nigeria.

The projected market demand in Nigeria is between 400,000 MT and 1 million MT in the next five years, which will not be enough for turnaround production at the coconut refinery for a fixed duration. Akwa Ibom people should invest in the production of coconut, as this may be the next big thing.

The quest for greener pastures has forced most Youths to migrate from rural areas to urban centers. The development works negatively against our projection to achieve no poverty and zero hunger by the year 2030. Agricultural activities are now in the hands of the aged, who are without the necessary energy required to optimize production.

The effort to grow some vegetables (dominant in the Northern States) in Akwa Ibom is a commendable gesture. There is a need to evaluate the production cost of such products locally and compare the same with the cost of buying, transporting them from other states, devoid of storage which is applicable in both cases. Such a basis for comparison can motivate Youths to venture into production, knowing there is a prospect and appreciable return on investment (ROI).

SOME KEY STRATEGIES THAT COULD DRIVE YOUTH ENGAGEMENT IN TRANSFORMING FOOD SYSTEMS

1. Identification of a need: Identifying a need within your locality could urn your fortunes. There are identifiable concerns in areas such as Production; Mechanization; Post Harvest Technology; Packaging; Marketing etc. Youths must take advantage of this and do so in consonance with what is with some comparative advantage and easy to produce, while not ignoring factors of production (Land, Labour, Capital, and Entrepreneurship).
2. Research, Linkages, and Collaborations: No meaningful development can occur without research and collaboration. One critical limitation to effective planning is data assemblage. Data analysts and related professionals can become millionaires by providing analytical content to help policy-makers in planning and decision-making. Akwa Ibom and Nigeria are in desperate need of data in the Agricultural sector. Most developed nations base their production planning on reliable data from verifiable sources.
3. Funding and Development: Explore sources of income locally and internationally to enhance your endeavor. It could be from Government, Private Concern, or Cooperatives. There are numerous donor agencies (IFAD, UNDP, UNESCO, EU, UNHDR, etc.) funding viable Agricultural development projects, especially ones that will directly reduce poverty and hunger rates. The development of good feasibility and business plan is necessary towards achieving this. Look for experts in the field to put you through.
4. Intellectual Property Development: Intellectual property theft is at an alarming rate. Develop your ideas into realistic opportunities and protect them using relevant laws.
5. Technological Advancement: The 21st century is technology driven. At all unit operations, technology should be developed and deployed to optimize production. Recently students from the University of Uyo developed a drone to irrigate farmlands and monitor the same against infiltration by thieves. Such innovative ideas can be encouraged to take it to the next level and train others interested. It is worthy of note that less than 3% of Americans and 5% of Chinese are involved in Agricultural production. Both nations are inches away from sustainability in food production and contribute hugely to meet global food demand. It is rather unfortunate that more than 70% of Nigerians are involved in farming, yet we cannot feed ourselves. The gap rests on technological advancement. Local manufacturing of post-harvest equipment for select crops should be encouraged.
6. Policy & Enabling Environment: It is the primary responsibility of the Government to formulate policies for Agri-business to thrive. How many Youths are aware that in 2017, the State Government had developed a policy document and roadmap for Food Sufficiency with a viable sustainability plan? Every Akwa Ibom person must access this document to be guided in areas of interest and understand the investment dynamics in the Agricultural sector.
7. Rural Development: We can turn rural centers into urban cities through Agriculture if some challenges limiting rural development using a bottom-to-top approach. We need to address deeply rooted problems like access to quality education, poverty, health infrastructure, power, clean water, markets, and other social amenities in rural settlements to mitigate the effect of rural to urban migration.
8. Attitudinal Change: The decay of the moral fabric is of concern. Every Youth wants to get rich quick, not minding the process of planting and watering before harvesting. Unarguably, the main driver of societal ills like cultism, armed robbery, and crime generally. Agencies like EARCOM redesign their concept and strategically deliver such messages where necessary.

CONCLUSIONS

Akwa Ibom Youths are industrious and enterprising. There is a need to create an enabling environment to create wealth in areas of food production we have a comparative advantage. The Youths should also understand the changing economic dynamics of the 21st century, anchored on innovation and technology for sustainability.

The COVID-19 pandemic has provided a nexus for us to recalibrate our minds and know that food is significant in today’s world. Akwa Ibom Youths should note, the next set of billionaires in the globe may emerge for the Food Industry, not the Oil and Gas Industry. We should not be left out.

We should devise means and engage and transform food systems through innovative ideas that will engender sustainability and increased productivity as we gear towards achieving the first two goals of the SDGs (No Poverty and Zero Hunger) by 2030.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Establishment of a Bank of Industry and Agriculture in the State to enable the Youths to access funds and enhance production in areas of Agri-business of interest
2. Optimizing entrepreneurial drives like the 3,000 jobs, Dakkada Initiatives, etc., and link them with identifiable challenges in areas of value addition to enable us the source for solutions.
3. Development of clusters and aggregation points for farmers in at least two locations per LGA to deepen supply of food and enhance business opportunities
4. Adequate funding of Research and Innovation in the Agricultural sector
5. Step down Agricultural development programs of the FG at the state level to guarantee inclusion of our people to National programs aimed at developing the sector
6. Promotion of collaborations between MDAs of Government that are directly linked to food production to ensure quality control
7. Enhanced development of rural communities to limit rural to urban migration
8. Domestication of the State’s policy on Agriculture and Food sufficiency in public institutions to help in educating Youths on areas of interest and opportunities
9. Increased provision of land for Agricultural production at a reduced cost to poor farmers
10. Involvement of Youths (Local content) in the planning and development of programs in the sector through implementation of the Akwa Ibom State Youth Development Bill.
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THANK YOU!