A team of agricultural experts operating under the Education Future Advancement Concept and Skills (EDUFACS) has thrown its weight behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s food sufficiency drive, pledging to create about 2.3 million jobs through large-scale agricultural interventions across the country.
The group, speaking at a news conference in Abuja yesterday, commended the Federal Government and the Ministry of Agriculture for what it described as measurable progress in repositioning agriculture as a key pillar of Nigeria’s economic recovery and long-term development.
Chairman of EDUFACS, Comrade Kareem Aderemi, said the current administration’s policy direction under the Renewed Hope Agenda has provided a framework for private-sector participation, grassroots empowerment and increased local production.
According to him, the Minister of Agriculture has performed creditably, not only in driving sectoral reforms but also in contributing to broader economic objectives.
“The Federal Minister of Agriculture under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been doing well, not only in agriculture but across the wider economy,” Aderemi said. “On agriculture, I give 100 per cent to Mr President. As responsible citizens, we must acknowledge positive efforts while offering constructive contributions where necessary.”
He explained that EDUFACS’ intervention is designed to complement government initiatives by expanding access to skills acquisition, improving value-chain development and promoting food sovereignty.
Aderemi disclosed that the organisation plans to engage at least 70 per cent of Nigerians in agricultural vocations through structured training programmes, mechanised farming, processing, and agribusiness development.
“We are strengthening a production-based economy alongside the service-based economy to place Nigeria on a higher growth trajectory,” he added.
Emphasising local content, Aderemi said EDUFACS is committed to promoting Nigerian-made goods, noting that about 90 per cent of all items distributed to beneficiaries under its programmes would be sourced locally.
He further revealed that the initiative would actively involve schoolchildren and students, with EDUFACS supporting selected beneficiaries through tuition assistance as a way of encouraging youth participation in agriculture.
According to him, the organisation is leveraging Nigeria’s vast arable land and human capital to boost productivity, create sustainable livelihoods and instil national pride through productive engagement.
Aderemi said EDUFACS’ focus on innovative agricultural practices, including organic farming and agro-processing, has the capacity to create about 2.3 million jobs, particularly in rural communities where unemployment remains high.
He added that part of the programme would include training Nigerians in goat milk processing, which he described as more nutritious and healthier than conventional cow milk, alongside the cultivation and distribution of organic crops.
The EDUFACS chairman assured that the organisation would continue to collaborate with government agencies, development partners and the private sector to strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural value chains and contribute to sustainable economic growth.
