Rivers Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Tammy Danagogo, has urged agriculture agencies in the state to encourage young people in agripreneurship to curb food shortage.
Danagogo made this known on Wednesday in a statement signed by Mrs Juliana Masi, the Press Officer to the SSG in Port Harcourt.
The SSG made the call while speaking with members of the Fisheries Society of Nigeria Rivers State chapter, who paid him a visit in his office.
Danagogo noted that agriculture occupied a crucial position in the economic prosperity of the state and the country.
“Nationally, agriculture should be used to engage young people. Experts and those already established in the industry need to do more,
“One of the challenges we have in our country is that we theorise a lot, but putting things into practice becomes a challenge,’’ he said.
Danagogo urged farmers to engage more in fishing since Rivers State had comparative advantage in the fishery sector,
He decried situations where by young graduates did not take pride in agriculture but rather see farming as archaic and a venture meant for the old and rural dwellers.
According to Danagogo, government is never at ease due to the plethora of challenges posed by unemployment of youths across the country.
“Agriculture is indispensable to make us a production-based economy,” he said.
In her remarks, Dr Nene Jamabo, the Chairperson of the state chapter of Fisheries Society of Nigeria, thanked Gov. Nyesom Wike, for his efforts in supporting farmers.
Jamabo who was represented by the Secretary, Dr Akinrotimi Ojo, said that the association intended to host its annual national conference in the state.
She said that members of the association were drawn from government agricultural agencies, higher educational institutions and the private sector.
Jamabo added that the conference would attract fishery experts from around the world and Nigeria to the state.