The National Chairman, Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers, Dr Shu’aibu Musa, described agriculture as one of the key promoters of the NIAE and with high prospects to drive the growth and sustainability of the economy.

“Agricultural engineers could raise a large proportion of the population to produce food and increase the Gross Domestic Product,” he said.

The National President, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Mr Adekunle Mokuolu, said, “Agropreneurship has to do with entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector, making sustainable business ventures off agro commodities, goods and services.

“The focus as engineers is how we can sustain growth of the agricultural sector in a diversified economy and fashion out innovative ways of enhancing the quality and quantity of our produce.”

He added, “Engineers are problem solvers, therefore, we need to develop technology to boost our farm produce because this is the only way to ensure food security.”

An agriculture stakeholder, Mr Aliru Alade, advised farmers to key into the Federal Government’s effort at diversifying the economy from a mono-revenue to a multi-revenue economy.

He said the overdependence on oil as a mono-revenue had done more harm than good to the country’s economy.

“Agricultural engineers and manufacturers of foods and agro-allied products have great roles to play in growing and sustaining the economy. However, to sustain the tempo of the economic diversification efforts of the government, entrepreneurs in agriculture have to be taken seriously,” he added.

Source: Punch