Day D’banj joined efforts to empower young farmers

The date was Thursday March 20, Transcorp Hilton Hotel was the venue and there was one star attraction to light up the show. Although he was headed to the ONE Do Agric, It Pays Campaign Abuja launch, Afro pop singer, Dapo Daniel Oyebanjo better known as Dbanj arrived the venue powerfully dressed. 

According to the Koko Master and  ONE ambassador, he came looking every inch a celebrity to an event on agriculture, to demonstrate to youths that agro-business can be glamorous. “I want to tell youths that a farmer can wear a Rolex wristwatch and drive a Bentley.”

“In agric business, you don’t have to suffer to earn a living. It is just like when I was coming here and some people asked why I was wearing a suit to promote farming and I told them that it is such negative views of farming that I and other colleagues will work to change.”

One is Non-Governmental Organization established by a musician, Bono. The Irish born musician who is the leader of the rock band, U2 is also a known activist in the fight against AIDS and extreme poverty in Africa.

In 2002, he co-founded DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa) to raise public awareness of these issues in its name and influence government policy on Africa. In 2004, DATA helped to create ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History, an advocacy organization dedicated to fighting extreme poverty and preventable diseases. In early 2008, DATA and ONE combined operations under the name, ONE. As part of his work with ONE, Bono has lobbied US presidents and Congressional leaders, along with the heads of many other G8 nations.

It was no surprise that Dbanj accepted to work with ONE on its Do Agric, It Pays campaign, which is targeted at getting thousands of youths to practice agriculture. He said: “Last year, when ONE which is backed by Bono, a musical legend approached me, I quickly agreed. I know that Bono and ONE have been involved in eradicating poverty for over two decades, so I was willing to work with him. I also run the Koko Foundation through which I have been involved in eradicating poverty in my own little way. But when I heard that they wanted me to be involved in promoting agriculture, I said no. For me, agriculture had to do with a tough life and I have always had this belief since my secondary school days when we had to serve out punishment on the fields. But when they told me that I would be involved in telling youths about the wealth that is hidden in using our natural resources, I discovered that there is lot of money to be made in agriculture.”

Dbanj who has adoring fans urged youths hesitating to try farming to emulate musicians who used their talents and youthful zeal to give Nigerian entertainment good reckoning without the support of government. He said: “My parents didn’t want me to go into music. Like many other parents, they didn’t see a good future for anyone in music. But because I was a youth that believed in the talent God gave me, I strived and hustled to make my dreams come true. I didn’t wait on government. We didn’t wait for anyone to support us. We looked for investors and worked hard and today for me to be signed on Kanye West’s G.O.O.D Music label, it shows that Nigerian artistes have come a long way.”

The star act with a number of endorsements running into millions of naira is quite proud of his new role as the ambassador for ONE and the federal government’s young farmers scheme tagged “Nagro-preneur”.

He used ONE’s Do Agric, It Pays, Abuja launch to publicly present his Koko garri product, just as he announced that he will be producing Koko bread made of cassava. “Five years ago I started Koko Holdings and I am proud to tell all of you that you will be leaving here with a pack of Koko garri” he announced to a loud applause. He added: “I want the youths to see that I have already started. Please my dear youths, we can do it. We should take a cue from Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, he made his money partly through agriculture, not oil.  I will also be producing Koko bread made from cassava just to practically support government’s drive to bring youths into agriculture.

“When I was with the minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina recently and he told me of the Nagro-preneur project of government which is targeted at raising 750,000 young agric entrepreneurs, I accepted to be the ambassador to the project. Government aims to raise this crop of young farmers by creating an enabling environment for them with interventions like getting them access to land, financing and mechanised equipment.”

Speaking on how he intends to reach youths with the good news, the artiste who dubbed himself the Koko Farmer said he will exploit the wide reach of music and the social media.

Also speaking at the event, Vice-Chairman of the senate committee on Agriculture and Rural Development, Senator Gbenga Kaka backed the move to get more youths involved in agriculture. However, the lawmaker tasked government taking far reaching measures such as the repeal of the Land Use Act and the provision of adequate budgetary allocations to agriculture, noting that it wasn’t enough to ignite youths interest in the sector.

Lending her voice to the call for massive youth participation in agric, the Director-General of the Security Exchange Commission (SEC), Aruma Oteh advised young entrepreneurs to take a second look at agro-businesses. She said: “Whether it is the Dangote Group or Flour Mills Limited, they are successful businesses courtesy of agriculture. They are listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. So I must tell the youths that they have to take their destinies in their hands. It is profitable to take your destiny in your hands. Millionaires will be made through investments in agriculture and this is the time to make that investment.”