The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has identified youths’ involvement in agriculture as a vital strategy to curbing emigration and brain drain.

Head, Abuja Operation Office of NEMA, Bitrus Samuel stated this while addressing the issue of the 71 young Nigerian women who recently returned from Lebanon.

The ladies, who had earlier been trafficked, were seen in a video that made rounds on social media, calling on the Nigerian government to help them return home.

Samuel noted that the involvement of young people in agriculture would not only arrest brain drain but assist the nation to become self-sufficient in food production.

He, therefore, urged the youths to leverage the opportunities in agriculture.

If done, they would have no need to travel elsewhere in search of greener pastures, he added.

“Nigeria is a great country with lots of opportunities especially in agriculture, and if youths can embrace it, there will be no need for them to travel anywhere.

“We are rich, the land is rich and bountiful if youths can go back to farming, a lot of food will be available in the country, and by so doing, engaging themselves positively.

“I am encouraging our youths to go back to agriculture, it is the mainstay of the economy, the demand for food is high because the population is increasing.

“So, if all of us can go into agriculture as producers at the primary level, it will go a long way to boost the country’s income, and if we can produce in excess, we can export it,” he said

SOURCE: AGRONIGERIA