Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina |
What
started as routine migration by scores of mainly economic migrants fleeing
hardship in Africa has turned into a global nightmare and Africa is as
confounded as the European Union is shocked. Over time, the number of countries
whose citizens are fleeing conflicts and economic hardship has multiplied. They
include Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea,
Ethiopia, Gambia and Cote d’Ivoire.
The
others are Libya, Mali, Mauritania,
Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Tunisia and Zimbabwe. The conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan have also
helped to fuel the insidious migration. In all of these countries, the citizens
are traumatized by harsh economic realities coupled with political upheavals
that compel them to seek refuge elsewhere. Misery, dejection and gloom pervade
the spheres in which many citizens found themselves.
But
this ought not to be the case in Africa as Africans have no business being poor
and miserable given the rich natural endowments of the continent. All that is
needed to make a difference is good leadership. The continent, certainly, has
lost direction, which has given rise to the pervading poverty that pushes
people into migration.
This
is why the issue of rural transformation hardly mentioned by African leaders is
critical to saving the continent. Consequently, the rural communities, where
the majority of the population dwells, are blighted and problem-prone, lacking
social service amenities such as water, good roads, healthcare facilities, and
so on. Such areas need to be transformed otherwise they will continue breed
youth who are desperate to flee.
It is
against that background that the President of the African Development Bank
(AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina,
recently called on countries in Africa to reconstruct the rural areas from zone
of economic misery to that of prosperity. He said this would in turn expand
economic opportunities for the African youth, leading to improvement in their
lives, thereby stemming migration.
Dr. Akinwumi,
who spoke in Abuja, on the occasion of the International
Migrants’ Day, noted that greater economic opportunities would motivate the
African youth to stay on the continent and live a meaningful life. He said
agriculture is the key to rural transformation. More than ever before,
according to him, Africa must modernise its agriculture and unlock its full
potential.
The
challenge of food insecurity is, therefore, critical to addressing the more
complex issues of migration and displacement. Similarly, reducing
inter-communal conflicts over scarce resources such as water and pasture for
animals is also critical. There is need for new agricultural innovations
besides transforming agriculture into a sector for creating wealth.
No
doubt, lack of economic opportunities, conflicts and climate change are key sources
of fragility that in turn result in forced migration of people desperately
seeking alternatives.
The
resultant push reflects in rural-urban, intra-African or international
migration that plague many African countries. Definitely, what is driving people
away could be stemmed only with a committed leadership. The African land is
blessed and the continent needs to make good use of its God-given resources.
As far
as Nigeria is concerned, the country needs a kind of Marshall Plan to change
the current apathy towards agriculture. Regrettably, Nigeria started on a sound
footing rooted in agriculture but lost it. The North was famed for the
groundnut pyramids. The East produced palm oil, the West produced cocoa and the
Mid-West was noted for rubber.
Unfortunately,
when money came by crude oil, agriculture was abandoned. The focus changed to
the nation’s detriment. Governments at all levels advised to do something to
revive agriculture and make it the bedrock of the nation’s wealth. There will
be no industrialization, anyway, without agriculture. (GUARDIAN)
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