FIIRO DG harps on agriculture as employer of youths

Director General (DG) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi (FIIRO), Prof. Gloria Elemo, has said that agricultural development is the best way to take Nigeria out of poverty and create job opportunities for unemployed youths in the country.

She made this call at the 5th Landmark University convocation lecture, titled ‘Driving Agricultural Revolution: A spur for Industrial Breakthrough and Sustainable Development’ signing of memorandum of understanding (MoU) between FIIRO and Landmark University held in Kwara State, recently.

Elemo, who was the guest speaker at the convocation lamented that 46 per cent of Nigerians live below the poverty line with an alarming rate of untapped indigenous local agricultural technologies that existed in the country before the discovery of oil, adding that agricultural revolution was the only panacea for take the country out of the woods.

She identified low budgetary allocation to agriculture, increasing population and the quest for white-collar jobs as the bane for agricultural revolution in the country

Elemo said: “There is need to promote agriculture and improve on its value chain through the proper processing of agric produce to enhance economic growth.

“We have FIIRO’s cassava initiates in which over 25 by-products have been developed from cassava the ready to use therapeutic: food for the elderly; the development of nutraceutical for sickle cell anaemia patients; the high nutrient density biscuits that can meet with the one third dietary needs for school age children.”