Nigeria is a very blessed country with virtually everything you can think of... from Natural resources to human resources. We really do not have a business with being poor.
The major problem with Nigeria is that we have not really had a leader with vision and the political will to pursue the Nigerian dream. All we have so far are people who want to enriched themselves and their cronies with no regards to what happens to the country, her citizens and her future. Now that leadership failed us, should we fold our hands and cry forever?
Look around you, you can practically see opportunities everywhere. I intentionally went for market survey this Christmas season to see the prices of things especially those with high demand. I was shocked to know that 4 months old broiler is sold for as high as N15,000. A rubber of garri goes for N1,700, a bunch of plantain goes for N5,000 while a bag of rice goes for N56,000. I quickly recurred growing up in the family of farmers, these were items we were playing with then that have turned treasures.
It is actually funny that the food production of Nigeria is not enough to feed the citizens. Why then are people not going into farming? Why do we cry about unemployment when many people have lands they can cultivate in the villages yet lying fallow. I truly see a very big opportunity in farming.
There are many other areas that present huge opportunities that people are not tapping into. My mindset has changed so much lately as I have realised that Nigeria is like an untapped treasure. I'm from South South Nigeria and I can only say about my area. Those from other regions can narrate what they consider as opportunity in their place.
Actually Nigeria is blessed with a lot of natural resources and human resources like in my area, a lot of people have realized the reality of farming activities and most of them have engaged in it.
Farming as we know is a very easy to practice because, even in your own back yard you can prepare just a portion of land to practice some farming activities since it includes both cultivation of plants and rearing of animals, you can either start rearing cows goats or fowls. Depending on your ability and the experience you have. And after some time, you can take them to the market or talk to those you know might need it, they will buy. By so doing, you are moving. Don't look down on your self, be confident in what you do and before you know it, you will realize that you are no more at where you were some days back.
It really doesn't matter how faster or slower the movement is, but what matters most is that one day, you shall be at the destination you are dreaming of. Because the destiny is not the same.
just keep moving.
In a bit to feed the Nigerian population, the vast lands we have that are not being cultivated is not because of the fact that there are no farmers but it's because of their unavailability of farming tools like mechanized farming system, because you don't expect holes and machete to be used to feed the multitude of crowd we have in our country, so if we can come together as a people to form some co-operation in a bid to help the local farming system by introducing machines to either farmers or those of them that want to go into farming it will help to boost our agricultural sector. Another angle to some of these problems is the hike in price of goods and services and inflation which have affected the economy due to the hike in fuel price, which has multiplier effect on the economy negatively.
Yes, indeed in Nigeria farmers are suffering from the lack of mechanized and advance farming implements like tractors, water pumps and sprayers. they are also lacking farming inputs like fertilizers, chemicals like herbicides insecticide and modernized seeds that would yield positively during harvesting.
They are also lacking good access road that would lead rural and urban and make them accessible to each other with ease. making it harder and difficult for them to practice. When government tries to show concern on the issue of farmers and subsidize things for them, make sure things are available for them, it will encourage the farmers more.
But even when government don't show concern or don't support farmers with necessary materials, at least, we should not fold our arms doing nothing about it because that would not solve the problem that is already on the ground. We should rather get up and start something even if it's little. Get a piece of land clear it and plants it with suitable crops like cassava, doesn't require much fertility for it to do on the land.
Cassava is very beneficial, you can derive many things from it like garri, starch, cassava powder and you can also eat cassava like that and sell it's pills or give it to goats, cows and sheeps.