Nigeria is predominantly an agricultural society, owing to its highly diversified agro-ecological conditions which make production of a wide range of agricultural products possible. Agriculture is a very important sector of the Nigerian economy, providing numerous employment opportunities with 70% of the population engaged in agriculture at a subsistence level. It also provides raw materials to both agro and chemical industries thereby contributing to the national GDP.
Increased budgeting and Agropreneurship are vital tools will lead the country a long way in achieving the objectives of the Maputo Declaration, Vision 2020, and the Nation’s Transformation Agenda. This would be more realistic if children and youth are empowered to contribute and adopt agriculture as a sustainable livelihood which will in turn encourage Government to increase budgetary allocations.
Consequently the GROW Champions Project was designed to advocate for increased investments in small scale agriculture in Nigeria.
GROW Champions Project is an initiative of Fresh & Young Brains Development Initiative and Alexijan Consults launched in July 2013 under the GROW Campaign of Oxfam Nigeria. The project aims to increase children and youth participation in agriculture through advocacy, capacity building and campaign strategies.
To increase youth participation in agriculture through advocacy and campaign strategies
- To develop advocacy and campaign messages working with celebrities, and to design online and digital campaigns using twitter, youtube and SMS messages
- To conduct consultative meetings, policy dialogues and small group meetings with policy makers and parliamentarians on the GROW Campaign
- To undertake strategic campaigns geared towards World Food Day (Oct 8), World Population Day (July 11) and World Women Day (March 8).