Contributors to Nigeria’s agriculture get celebrated

An event to celebrate people who have made contribution to agricultural development in Nigeria is to hold Tuesday 18, this year on the evening of the opening day of Agra-Innovate Nigeria.

This event tagged #Nagricaward2014, will hold at Landmark Village Event Centre, Victoria Island to glamourise agriculture which hitherto had not been associated with glamour. It is being organised by Verdure Vision Limited, owners of the AgroNigeria brand and the Agriculture Policy Research Network (APRNet).  According to the organisers, the picture of agriculture that comes to most people’s minds is that of an old man or woman, looking tired and unkempt with callused hands, perhaps bent over by years of using the hoes and cutlasses. They also believe most people see the picture of reluctant young men heading off to the farms behind their fathers and mothers, and dreaming of when and how they would liberate themselves from the suffering of the farms and run off to the glitz of the city.

They say it therefore comes as no surprise that no one has before now thought of celebrating agriculture and people in the agriculture sector in a night of glitz.

According to the organisers, Akinwunmi Adesina, Nigeria’s minister has become the face of change and transformation that agriculture sorely needs. He has through his inspiration and actions made agriculture more appealing to the younger folk and attracted investments from men of class. For instance, the appointment of popular entertainer Dbanj as Youth Ambassador for Agriculture and his subsequent advocacy for agriculture has made many young people begin to see agriculture as a viable business.

Additionally, the fact that Adesina was able to attract investments into various agricultural value chains such as the Aliko Dangote $1billion investment into the Rice Value Chain has caused many to sit up, re-evaluate their thinking and change their perceptions of agriculture.

In addition, the push that the Federal Government has given to mechanisation of agriculture through partnerships with the private sector such as the N3.6 billion investment in agricultural mechanisation has convinced many that it is possible to do away with hoes and cutlasses as they embrace large scale farming.

There is therefore no better time than now to create an additional reason why people should want to align themselves with agriculture. There is no better time than now to celebrate individuals and organizations that have contributed to the growth and sustainability of the new face of agriculture.

Therefore Verdure Vision Limited with its partners have therefore come together to package the first ever Nigeria Agriculture Award. This award is set to bring together the crème de la crème of agriculture in Nigeria to celebrate the current Agricultural Transformation Agenda and show the world that the men and women pushing the agriculture transformation both in the private and public sector are not dreary old men but people of class and savoir faire.

There will be 35 awards in all and individuals and organisations will be rewarded for excellence in innovation, entrepreneurship, research, technology, advocacy, journalism among others. There will also be special awards for people who have distinguished themselves in the agriculture sector over the years.