Bayer AG selects two Nigerians, others to address global food security challenges

Bayer AG, a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and agriculture, has selected 100 young leaders to participate in the third Youth Ag-Summit in Brussels, Belgium.

Among the participants are two Nigerians, Boris Nwachukwu, a medical student of the University of Port-Harcourt and Matthew Oguche,Nwachukwu’s essay focused on feeding a hungry planet by utilising a human right approach through social justice perspective.

The summit is in partnership with Groene Kring (GK) and Fédération des Jeunes Agriculteurs (FJA) from October 9-13, 2017.The theme of the summit, which is “Feeding a Hungry Planet,” this year’s Summit, is part of Bayer’s Agricultural Education Programme.

It is aimed at addressing the UN Sustainability Goals of ending hunger, achieving food security and promoting sustainable agriculture. The medical student said: “I was in the clinic attending to a client in our facility when I got the selection mail. My spirit went wild, but I had to hold my lips from screaming: I dream of a day where no child either from the slums of Ajegunle, Lagos or Favela of Maracana, Brazil would go to bed without having a satisfying nutritive meal.”

Oguche said: “It gives me great joy to be one of the delegates representing Nigeria and West Africa for the first time at the Youth-Ag summit in Brussels. I look forward to this unique opportunity to gain new perspective and collaborate with other young leaders from around the world, as we deliver action on the urgent task of a sustainable and hunger free world.

The delegates, aged between 18 and 25, were selected from 49 countries across the world that includes Nigeria, Kenya, United Kingdom, among others. A statement by Bayer said the delegates would share their diverse experiences and work together to generate innovative, sustainable and actionable solutions to global food security challenges.

Across five days, delegates would undertake group projects and participate in industry tours, as well as learning from expert guest speakers. Their mission would be to come up with concrete new ideas, which can drive agricultural progress across the globe and be put into practice back home.

A member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG and Head of the Crop Science Division, said: “The Youth Ag-Summit aims to give young leaders the opportunity to foster their ideas, share best practices and explore the role of modern agriculture in feeding a hungry planet.”

To be considered for participation, prospective delegates were required to submit an essay of 1,500 words on the topic of food insecurity. A total of 1,187 essays from 95 different countries were submitted, which a panel of industry experts reviewed.