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Former governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, has challenged Nigerian editors to help change the mindset of the youths in the country to love Agriculture. He made the appeal when he spoke extempore at the ongoing Guild of Editors Conference in Port Harcourt.

He narrated that when he started the “Delta without Oil” mantra, many critics laughed at him, but today, the slogan is the same: diversification.

Uduaghan told the editors that as governor, he used to be active on Facebook, through which, at times, people used to “abuse me for not developing their communities.”

He went further: “I decided to visit one of the villages which was about seven kilometres off the East West Road. I could only drive for one km. I decided to cover the remaining distance on foot or bike. I engaged a commercial motorcyclist who told me that despite coming from an agricultural community, he, a fresh graduate, had no interest in Agric. He engaged in commercial motorcycle business because he was awaiting the reply to his application at an oil company. Another young man I met said his ambition was to be a global footballer (he reeled the names of wold soccer stars off hand).”

The story of these two young men is, according to Uduaghan, that of many young people in Nigeria. “They just do not have interest. This is the area the editors have to set agenda”, Uduaghan said.

The former Delta governor advised also that to solve the problem of militancy in the Niger Delta, the FG needs to engage the state governors.

Uduaghan also counselled that Nigerian journalists need to have Agric Writers Association in order to drive the diversification agenda