Afe Babalola Decries Laziness Among Nigerians, Rewards Ekiti Farmers with ₦177.7m as AU Pledges $100m for Africa’s Food Systems

Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), has lamented what he described as the growing laziness and disinterest of many Nigerians—particularly the youth—in productive ventures, warning that such attitudes continue to threaten the nation’s food security.

Babalola made the remarks at the closing ceremony of the 10th edition of the Afe Babalola Agric Expo and Youth Empowerment Programme (ABA-EX), held at ABUAD over the weekend.

As part of the event, the legal luminary rewarded outstanding local farmers and youths in Ekiti State with a total of ₦177.7 million, in recognition of their efforts toward boosting food production.

In this year’s edition alone, over ₦44 million in cash was distributed. Beneficiaries from the 16 local government areas of Ekiti received between ₦50,000 and ₦200,000, while selected youths were empowered with start-up kits and capital support to establish agribusinesses.

Babalola explained that the decade-long initiative complements government efforts to revitalise agriculture and aims to make the sector more attractive to younger Nigerians.

“It is unfortunate that many Nigerians, especially the youth, have become lazy and dependent. Agriculture, if well managed, remains the key to our survival and prosperity as a nation,” he stated.

Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Prof. Abiodun Ojo, described the 10-year milestone of ABA-EX as “a decade of tangible impact”, noting that Babalola’s consistent support has rekindled hope in Nigeria’s ability to overcome unemployment through agribusiness.

ABUAD Vice Chancellor, Prof. Smaranda Olarinde, commended Babalola’s unwavering patriotism and commitment to national development, while Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, represented by the Commissioner for Agriculture, Ebenezer Boluwade, praised the philanthropist for his sustained investment in agriculture and youth empowerment.

Oyebanji noted that with over 65 percent of Ekiti’s population engaged in agriculture, Babalola’s intervention aligns perfectly with the state’s economic priorities.

Meanwhile, in a related development, the African Union (AU) has committed to investing $100 million in improving agrifood systems across Africa by 2035, as part of the Kampala Declaration endorsed by Nigeria and other member states.

The declaration, which builds on the Maputo and Malabo Declarations, seeks to mobilise both public and private sector investments in areas such as production, trade, food security, and governance.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum in Abuja, Nigeria’s National Focal Person for the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP), Onijighogia Emmanuel, said the AU’s new agenda focuses on transitioning from agriculture to a more holistic agrifood system that integrates sustainability and inclusivity.

Experts from GIZ and ActionAid Nigeria at the meeting also stressed the importance of accountability, research, and policy advocacy to ensure the effective utilisation of agricultural budgets and to address challenges such as limited access to credit, gender inclusivity, post-harvest losses, and inadequate storage infrastructure.