The Junior Chambers International (JCI), Odua chapter, has urged secondary school students to embrace farming with their education.
Founder of Babajide Oguntokun Back to School Agricultural Summit (BOBSAS), Mr Femi Oguntokun, spoke during the JCI’s annual summit, which was named after its ex-president, Babajide Oguntokun.
The event, which was held at St.Patrick Grammar School, Bashorun, Ibadan, was used to enlighten students on practice of subsistence farming and how they can also key into it to support their households.
Oguntokun explained that the initiative is aimed at enlightening students on the importance of agriculture in the community and its role in boosting the economy.
With the theme; “Harvesting opportunities; understanding agriculture’s impact” Ogundokun said; “The next big step in Nigeria is agriculture and we all need to return to farming, but without training, it will be very difficult for us because of the technological and climate change in the world of agriculture today.
“I come from a well-educated family but my father loved farming so much and that was how I developed the passion for agriculture, which led to the birth of this foundation.”
He then pledged to establish a poultry farm in the school very soon.
In her address, JCI Odua President, Aminu Zainab Omobolanle, disclosed that the event is already in its second year.
She said: “JCI Odua intends to support our young ones in every possible way within their capacity to encourage farming in the community.
“This will then bring about a surplus of food in the country.”
In their separate remarks, the school principal, Mr Tope Aderounmu, and his vice; Mrs Akinpelu. O, appreciated the foundation for bringing the initiative to the school.