According to him, Nigeria will achieve self-sufficiency in food production if only 30 percent of its population can engage in farming.
“The prevalent high prices of food items in the country could be favourably addressed when every family produces thirty percent of what is produced. Furthermore, every professional should engage in agribusiness,” he added.
Dr. Oladunni made these assertions in Ilorin, Kwara State, during a training programme on agribusiness for members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
The training programme, which was conducted free for members of the chapel, formed part of activities marking the 2021 Press Week of the Correspondents’ Chapel.
The ARMTI executive director posited that mass farming by Nigerians, irrespective of class status will also force down the skyrocketing prices of foodstuff in the country.
He advised the government to encourage more Nigerians to go into farming by subsidizing agricultural inputs and ensure that only qualitative and standard inputs are in the market for farmers to buy.
On the problem of insecurity, Oladunni advised government across board to engage the restive youths in productive ventures such as agriculture and agribusinesses.
Dr. Oladunni said ARMTI has been engaging in the training of youths in various areas of agribusiness to make them not only self- employed but employers of labour.
“The institute trains between nine hundred and one thousand participants yearly as it was created to domesticate agricultural management among people involving in agricbusiness in their different locations.
“At the end of the training programmes, ARMTI also provides starters packs valued at N200,000 to each of the beneficiaries to enable them start their own businesses,” said Oladunni.
He said that the institute has commenced the processes of opening regional offices in all the geographical zones of the country in locations like Rivers, Kano, Abia and Bauchi States and the city of Ibadan with a view to bringing its services closer to all Nigerians.
