Nigeria Dey Waste Millions Of Jobs — Report

Nigeria fit dey forfeit millions of potential jobs because government no dey give priority to agriculture, according to new data-driven report wey economists and policy experts present for Lagos. Di report talk say Nigeria dey face serious choice: continue depend on import wey dey destroy jobs, or invest for agriculture to create mass employment, boost industrialisation, and strengthen economy. Di findings show say country get huge employment potential, but no fit unlock am because of inconsistent policies, weak institutions, and underinvestment for agricultural sector. During public presentation of book How Africa Eats: Trade, Food Security and Climate Risks, Prof. David Luke and other scholars warn say Africa job crisis and food insecurity dey come from abandoned agriculture system. Dem talk say agriculture, wey na Nigeria natural advantage, fit become di biggest employer if dem give proper support.

Di report highlight say modernising agriculture fit boost food production and create jobs along di value chain, processing, storage, logistics, mechanisation, input supply, digital agriculture, and agro-export industries. But opportunities dey largely unrealised, as Africa dey battle unemployment while dem get labour-absorptive sector wey dem no dey use. Experts warn say unless government reform agricultural policies, tackle insecurity for farms, and invest in mechanisation and climate resilience, Nigeria go continue dey import food and export jobs. Prof. Babatunde Adeoye talk say food crisis dey linked to unemployment, while Prof. Luke condemn ignoring agriculture as moral and economic failure. Prof. Olawale Ogunkola add say policy incoherence, poor monitoring, corruption, and lack of implementation dey sabotage agricultural employment potential. Experts insist mechanisation go create tech-driven jobs and attract youth, while Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES) representative Prof. Lennart Oestergaard talk say agriculture fit transform economy if Nigeria start to export more finished goods instead of raw commodities, and Africa must stop dey depend on imported food.