INSPIRING A FOOD-SECURED FUTURE FOR NIGERIA AND AFRICA

Kuch99 Agriculture Training Institute has taken a bold step in ensuring a food-secured Nigeria and Africa. The bold step was taken by organizing the flagship edition of its Kuch99 Agro Teens Challenge. This challenge was designed to educate secondary school students in Owerri, Imo State. We focused on teaching smart farming, home gardening techniques, and career opportunities in Agriculture.

The training team visited 18 secondary schools in Owerri. Where they held seminars on urban farming, career opportunities in Agriculture and home gardening. Students who had passed a quick test following the seminar were given cucumber seeds to practice what they had learned. They were also given guidelines to follow, including sending pictures at different stages of their planting to a designated WhatsApp contact.

Within the expected 6 weeks time frame of cultivating their cucumbers, the students consistently sent in weekly reports of their farm progress. The pictures were a proof of their participation in the project right up to the fruiting and harvest stage. Although some gave up on the challenge along the way, a good number were consistent.

Until the very last day, we got these reports which made up their scores and eventually gave us the winners. We did not just get winners, we also got special price awards for students who should special commitment and resilience. Of course this gesture encouraged the youngsters to practice further, not just for the challenge but for the love of Food Security.

Kuch99 Agro Teens Challenge is an eye opener for not only us but many others as well. One lesson we all got from this challenge is the fact that the younger generation should be and are the pioneers of the move for Food Security in Nigeria and Africa.

Let’s begin to get them involved now.