28/09/2024
Being a text of Speech Delivered by the Aareonakakanfo of Yorubaland and the convener of YOV, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams,at the 2024 Yoruba One Voice (YOV) World Wide Conference, holding today, Saturday, September 28 2024 via zoom.
Protocol.
I am delighted to welcome you all to this special conference.
It is my hope that this event will be another successful story in the history of our organization.
Let me express my sincere appreciation to all the committees that have worked tirelessly to make this conference a reality.
I want to assure you all that in no long distant time,our efforts will be rewarded as we continue to press for the liberty of our race.
Today, as we take another bold step and make another fantastic move with this worldwide conference,we need to address some of the issues that have been affecting us as a race.
This,to me is the best way to put our house in order.It is also the best way to restate our position as an organization.
We can not wait till eternity to get this done.We must be ready to do everything within our reach to solve those problems that have been hindering our progress as a race.
As we continue to raise our voices, we have carefully chosen the theme of today's conference with the title:"Rescuing Yoruba Nation From Hunger: Your task,my task"with one intention - and that is: to rescue our race from acute hunger and famine.
With the present situation in Nigeria today, the pervading hunger across the country does not know the tribe or the region.It does not know the colour of our skin and the dialect we speak as a race.It is a general issue that needs urgent solution.
Therefore,I am sure our Guest Speaker, Prince Ade Omisakin will do justice to this topic, even as we continue to make case for a proper approach to solving our problems in Nigeria and in Yoruba land in particular.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is, today the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He is a Yoruba man,from the South West region and he is also one of the very few people that are still alive today to tell the story of the risk we took to get this democracy in 1999 which a lot of people clarify as just civil rule because we have not got a genuine democracy now.
Without sounding immodest,this democracy is yet to fulfill the lofty dreams of those that laid down their lives to make it a reality.
We talk of hunger as if there is no arable land in Nigeria? We talk of famine as if our lands in the South West are dead and no longer productive.
However,today, as I am making this speech, our agricultural produce like Yam, Cocoyam, Cassava and many others are germinating across southwest.
Nature has really blessed us with everything that we need to grow our plant.
It is no wonder that now the idea of growing vegetables or other stuff within our compound is gaining momentum as another way of practising the business of the old.
But as we continue to appreciate God for the gift of nature.There are major factors that have continued to affect our farmers and has also caused hunger and famine in the land.
Today,as I speak to you,one of the major factor that has been causing hunger in the South West and Nigeria as a whole is that of the growing spate of insecurity.
Insecurity is a major factor that causes hunger across the southwest.
The fear of the kidnappers and criminal herdsmen has always become the beginning of wisdom for the farmers across Nigeria.
In the South West for instance,our farmers prefer to stay alive than to get killed on their farms.
Cases of kidnapping and how our farmers got killed on their farms in the South West have been one of the major issues that need urgent solution.
Kidnappers take pride in their illicit crimes by collecting ransom in millions even as the criminal Fulani Herdsmen are also bold and courageous in their nefarious act that they believe they are above the law.
And whenever their cows destroy the farms, nobody will raise a finger on the issue.And then,the harm had been done.
It is very sad to note that in spite of the prevailing insecurity across the country,there is still cases of killing and kidnapping of farmers across the country.
In the past, farming is one of the most respected vocation in the South West.
Our forefathers who are farmers were rich.The kind of respect the farmers got in the villages are that of the kings.
But the growing development across the cities did the damage and majority of the abled younger relocated to the cities to look for a more respected jobs.
They leave their old and aged fathers in the village to cater to the need of the little children.
And it went on like that till the present time and nobody is really interested in going back to the farm.
Sadly,the urge to relocate to the cities and get a white collar job was also another major factor that affected our farmers.
The young and abled guys that have the strength left the farm in search of jobs in the cities and farming become unattractive.
So,when the job they sought didn't come as soon as they expected,
they become tools in the hands of the politicians and begin to create unnecessary frictions in the cities.
Remember the Yoruba adage that says an idle hand is the devil's workshop.
That is why I am worried whenever I see many of our young men now involving in cultism and advanced free fraud- popularly called "Yahoo Yahoo" to get money at all costs.
Others who could not withstand the current situation in the country are eager to leave the country,using the everyday maxim "Japa" to get on their feets and make money to survive abroad.
As we neglect farming for jobs in the cities,those aged and old farmers that are available and still enduring the rigours of farming didn't belief in the modern and mechanized farming.
They are always used to the old patterns and practices that are no longer feasible for this fast- paced economy.
For instance,in the 80s, Nigeria is a major producer of Cocoa, Cola nut, oil and a few other farm produce.
But unfortunately,the military came with a tight and neck- to-neck policy that actually left the farmers with little or no hope of survival.
They frustrated our farmers.And a few of them that could withstand the harsh policies of the military government did it under a terrible situation, with a lot of risk as the prices of their Cocoa and other farm produce remained very unattractive.
Nigeria is a blessed country and Yoruba land is even the greatest beneficiary of God's blessings.
This is evident in the way we plant our farm produce.Within a few days,you see your seed grow with pride.
All over the world,agriculture is a global business.Whether micro or macro agriculture.
The success depends largely on the need to expand the scope and advance the technological and mechanical advantage in the agric production.
Today,Nigeria and the South West is no longer the largest producer of Cocoa,but we can still dictate and drive the market if the governors can do a reform that can help our agric sector.
In today's world,there are ways to plant and harvest Cocoa within a short period of time.Let me say two to three years.And you get your results.
We cannot use the old methods to solve today's problems.
More importantly,another major factor that has affected our farmers in the South West is the obvious loan facility lacuna between the Northern farmers and the Southern farmers.
Our farmers in the Southwest cannot access any loan or facility from the Ministry of Agriculture, while their counterparts in the north enjoy easy and no interest facility at all times.
It is also sad that the northerners are the major beneficiaries of the agric loan.They get the lion share- between 85 and 90 percent of the loan meant for the Nigerian farmers.
Even the bank of industries usually give loan facility to farmers.But while the north enjoy the best of this facility,our farmers in the south west could not access the loan because they are not well educated about the opportunities inherent in their farming business.
I remember sometimes ago,the Central Bank of Nigeria published an advertorials of the available loan facility it is willing to give to Nigerian farmers.
How many of our farmers in the South West are educated enough to know that the CBN is giving out such facility?
That apparent injustice between the north and the south remained evident in whatever results we get in Yoruba land.
And as many of our farmers struggle hard to meet up with the challenges of their jobs,there is urgent need for us to sensitize our farmers in the south west on the opportunities that are available for them in the sector.
Giving the nature of our farmlands in the South West,nature has really blessed us that whatever we decide to grow on our soil germinates in due course.
However,we concentrate more on agricultural produce than the Livestock production as it is done in the north.
In Yorubaland,we do poultry, fishery and a bit of pigry and a little Livestock production.
Interestingly,many of the farmers in the north tend to spend their money on production of Cows, rams and goats because they believe Livestock breeding and production is the best form of farming.
As far as I am concerned, farming is the oldest profession on earth.
The Yoruba will say in our parlance that"Ise Agbe ni ise Ile wa".
What that translates to is that farming is our heritage and it is the job of our fathers and the oldest job on earth.
Therefore,it is in our own interest to go back and fashion out ways to reintegrate the modern ways of farming,by using and adopting the mechanized system of farming into our new ways of lives.It is my task,it is your task to end hunger in Yoruba land.
There is hunger in the land.It is our responsibility to play our part and ensure that we go back to the drawing board.
It is also the responsibility of the Southwest Governors to work out the best approach to assist farmers by giving out loans to them.
On this note,let me proffer possible solutions to these problems.
I have no fewer than six solutions which are highlighted as follows:
First, each state in the southwest should have the state farm.That is what I called agric revolution.
The initiative should also trickle down to the local government level for the people at the grassroots to be part of the new initiative.
Second, at least ,ten percent of the state's budget should be allocated for the development of the state's farming business.
This will cut across Yoruba land as it was done with the Oodua Investment initiative.
Third, the South West government should make Agricultural Science a compulsory subject in our schools as it is done in developed countries in the world.This will enhance agric education and make Agriculture more attractive to our youths.
Fourth, each state in Yoruba land should build a farm settlement where farmers can breed cows, rams and other Livestock products.
It is also possible for the state government to bring to their respective states experts from Bostwana and orther countries that have agricultural potential for us to get it right in livestock production and other agriculture.
Five years ago,a good friend of mine who was also a former commissioner in one of the states in the Southwest gave insights into how much we spent daily in buying cows in the south west.
He gave an analysis of the numbers of cows that was being killed in Lagos to a little over 13000 daily.
*In Oyo,6000 cows are being killed on daily basis
*In Ogun ,3000 cows killed daily
* In Osun,3000 cows killed daily
* In Ondo,1500 cows killed daily
* In Ekiti,1000 cows killed daily
1500 in ondo state daily.
If for example,a cow is sold for five hundred thousand ( #500,000)per one.
The total cost of a cow consumed in southwest on a daily basis will be put at Thirteen billion,seven hundred and fifty million naira
#13, 750,000,000 and in a month,it will be put at four hundred and twelve billion,five hundred million naira #412, 500,000,000 and annually it will be put at
four trillion,nine hundred and fifty billion naira #4 trillion 950 billion
In Agege, about three years ago, they make about 55 million daily from pomo production alone.Today, it is now put to 80 million naira daily.
Lagos consume over 3000 rams and goat daily.And other states in the South West consume 1000 each daily, It is very important to note that that we can make fortune if
concentrate more on agriculture than crude oil.
Cocoa and Palm oil sold higher than crude oil in the global market now.
Ekiti state can produce rice in Igbimo and Ilumoba.
The cattle ranch in Akunni akoko in ondo state and fashola village on oyo state can be rescurcitated.The farm settlement created by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo can be revived across Yoruba land.
Southwest Agricultural Bank can be established to give soft loans to the farmers.
We should continue to educate and sensitize our farmers on the need to access loans from financial institutions like the Central Bank, Bank of Industry, Agricultural Bank and etc.
Fifth,Government should bring up policies that give farmers the leverage to access loan with little interest.
These are the best way for us to achieve food security in Nigeria.
When food is available,the issue of violence, insecurity, hunger and other crimes will reduce drastically.
For instance, a developed country like Netherland,export over 100 billion dollars Agricultural produce annually to the world.
And it is an irony of fate that the geographical spread of Netherland is like that of Niger State.
Ukraine usually supply about 30 percent of the Wheat to Europe and some African countries.That is huge and it is a major setback as Ukraine has been engulfed in war with Russia for the past two years.
Given the present situation in the country now and the inflation rate across the country, we can save alot of money by engaging in agriculture and it will definitely be to our own advantage as stakeholders in the farming business.
Sixth,now that there is acute hunger in the land,each and everyone of us should think of having a small farm in our localities.
It is never a bad idea if we spread the gospel of grassroots farming across our localities.It is even better for our daily routine.
Lagos,Ibadan and every part of Yoruba land is a hub of big agricultural business.
And I believe strongly that we can easily generate over forty trillion naira annually if we are able to produce what we eat and consume in the South West.
With all these solutions highlighted so far; it is very important to say it here that Yoruba land has no reason to be poor.
There is no reason for hunger and famine in Yoruba land.We are a blessed region in all ramifications.
Finally,the Federal Government as well as the state government must also provide effective security for the farmers.
Noone will like to risk his or her life by going to the farm where criminal herdsmen are always on the prowl.
It is when farming becomes attractive,it is when there is effective security for farmers,it is when we start using the modern agricultural techniques that we will be able to play our roles in cushioning the ravaging hunger in the land.
But as the theme of this conference
says",it is my task,it is your task to rescue Yorubaland from hunger.
Thanks for listening, God bless you all
Iba Gani Abiodun Ige Adams
Aareonakakanfo of Yorubaland
Convener of YOV
