Osun’s Green Revolution Agenda

Gbenga Faturoti Osogbo

Osun Youths who recently completed their proficiency training in German Language are set to depart for Germany for training in the use of modern technology agricultural practices. The training in Germany is aimed at producing the next set of technically skilled hands that would advance the state in its agricultural business enterprises. Governor Rauf Aregbesola who supervised the official closing ceremony of the proficiency training programme also hinted that his administration is ready to send more youths on training programme. “The first batch of Osun youths went to Germany in August of 2013 and came back in November the same year. The second batch were supposed to go in 2014 but were delayed because of the need to improve on the language more than the first batch and the issue of Ebola. They will be leaving this July,” Mr. Dele Ogundipe, Senior Special Adviser on Quick Impact Intervention Programme (QUIIP) to the state government, who represented the governor, said. He added that the Government of Osun is living no stone unturned in its bid to boost agriculture and turn the state into the food basket of the nation and boost its revenues. ?The second batch of the 20 youths going to Germany in few months time were made to complete a class in German Language for the purpose of effective inter-personal communication of the youths while in Germany for the training. The advanced training in agriculture and food production technology will be taking place in the State of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. ?The training is in continuation of government’s drive to revolutionise agriculture in the state under the Osun Rural Enterprise and Agriculture Programme (O’REAP) and boost food productions for local consumption as well as export. The trainees will undergo a four-week intensive course in agricultural that will expose them to the rudiments of modern agriculture and food crop production techniques. The training will be followed by weeks of attachment trainings under different large-scale co-operative farmers in Saxony-Anhalt to enable the youths have practical demonstration of what they learnt. Speaking shortly after rounding off the language training programme, the coordinator of the training programme, Ogundipe, explained that agricultural development is a cardinal objective of the Osun State government. He said the idea of the overseas training and to develop agriculture in the state was conceived in May 2012 when Governor Aregbesola, contacted Saxony-Anhalt in Germany to assist Osun state in the area of agricultural development. Ogundipe said, “What the State of Osun is doing in the agriculture sector is very lofty and helpful to Nigeria as a country. If you train one youth to be good in agriculture you are training the world, how much more when the state is investing in the training of over 40 youths on modern ways of agriculture. “We are looking at a situation whereby when the youths come back from Germany we can be attaching them with the appropriate intervention programmes of the federal government and our own state here. “A cardinal objective of this administration after coming into power in 2010 was to embark on serious agricultural development even though oil was still booming at that time. It means that Ogbeni Rauf Aregesola has been very proactive. “The youths travelling to Germany have been trained in German language and in agriculture so as to aid their assimilation and participation while in Germany. “It has been a worthwhile experience so far, the students performance have been very encouraging and I can say that they fully ready to go to Germany and learn modern techniques in agriculture which will help the state. “It is good that they are going to Germany to learn new things and new experience on their own. We have talked about many things in Germany like animal livestock, pig farming technique and how to live and stay in my country, knowing what is forbidden and what’s allowed” the language instructor noted. One of the youths, Miss Olanibi Comfort from Atakumosa East Local Government described the programme as one that will go a long way in taking the jobless youths off the streets and find something worthwhile doing in the area of agriculture. ?”I am so delighted to be a part of this programme because it will continue to change my life for the better. The programme will go a long way in taking many jobless youths off the streets and put something worthwhile in their hands” Another beneficiary, Mr. Adebayor Waheed thanked the state government for giving them the opportunity and urged other leaders to embrace the Osun example. He noted that the programme will guarantee food security which will help to solve some of the challenges facing the nation. “We have so many graduates out there without jobs, I suggest that everybody should go back to the farm, because it is the only solution to the many problems we are facing as a nation,” he said.