Aregbesola urges varsity graduates to embrace agriculture

Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun, has charged young varsity graduates to shift attention from searching for white collar jobs and embrace agriculture as a means of self employment.

The governor gave this advice in a statement signed by his media aide, Semiu Okanlawon in Osogbo on Sunday.

He said that the present economic situation had shown Nigerians the need to encourage farming as the only alternative to crude oil.

Aregbesola stated that graduates should stop searching for formal jobs that seemed not to be available any longer.

The governor, who called for productivity, resilience and hard-work among Nigerians, said that the present economic situation was a challenge to job seekers to embrace self-employment.

According to him, there is no alternative to sustain our economy now but to develop keen interest in agriculture and engage in whatever that can promote food production capacity.

Aregbesola noted that Nigerians must, as a matter of urgency, invest in things that would sustain farming so that the nation could overcome its present economic challenges.

The governor, who decried the dwindling revenues from crude oil production, said unless the country embarked on massive agricultural practice, it might be difficult to revive the economy.

“There is the need for us, especially our young graduates, to lead the nation in promoting agriculture as the only realistic alternative means to revive the ailing economy.

“We must embrace farming because it is only agriculture that has a direct link to all aspects of life.

“Nigeria has grown to the stage through which her food production capacity must be urgently expanded to meet the general needs of the citizenry as well as exportation.

“The time to enhance productivity has come. We must all embrace productivity. We must produce whatever we desire to consume,” the governor added.