Destiny Edoro Emerges Winner Of STEP School Agri- Competition

Destiny Edoro of Gbagada Senior Grammar School on Friday has emerged the winner of the maiden edition of the Start Them Early Programme (STEP) Agri- competition held in Lagos.
The second and third positions in the programme organised by the Innovative Youth in Agriculture (I-Youth) project for all public secondary schools in Lagos State went to Joshua David of Comprehensive Senior High School, Alapere , Ketu and Asokere Misimau of Ajara Comprehensive Senior High School, Badagry, Lagos .
Fielding questions from journalists, the Senior Secondary School three student who defeated five competitors at the final stage to clinch the prize said the competition has been very challenging.
He said: “It has made me research into agriculture, it has made me develop interest in agriculture. I have acquired more knowledge in agriculture. I hope to train younger ones in agriculture and advance the study in Nigeria.’’
Earlier, the state Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo said state government accord importance to agriculture and education.
The commissioner represented by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education, Abolaji Abayomi said: ‘’Over the years, governments at different levels, particularly even at the federal level, have always been touting the need to go back to agriculture. Not just for us to have food sustainability but for diversification of the economy.
‘’We have always for years relied on petroleum and we have seen where that has taken us to, the government has realized that and so has been calling for a visit to the back to the past, into the past, not of regret, but of re- engineering of recharging our course.’’
Also speaking, Executive Manager, Youth Project, Aline Mushigo said the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has for the past decade, invested a lot of time in building the young people and ensuring that they don’t only acquire the necessary knowledge but they are exposed to technologies and innovations and research that allows them to tap into agriculture from different streams and sectors including engineering, technological development, seed system and great other areas.
Mushigo added: ‘’The Innovative Youth in Agriculture has invested in younger youth for a very, very strong purpose. And that purpose is because we believe that the future begins today. And the future cannot be built unless the young people who will make it happen are well nurtured.
‘’And today, this competition is the beginning of something bigger than all of us. We thank the Ministry of Education for taking a leap of faith on us and for believing that there is a place just like mathematics, language sciences, agriculture has also a place in your curriculum.”
She expressed optimism that a new generation of innovators, agribusiness Agripreneurs and entrepreneurs would emerge from the initiative.