D'banj launches ``Do Agric, It Pays`` song in Addis Ababa
(Nigeria) Popular Nigerian Singer and Song-writer Dapo Oyebanjo, aka D’banj on Wednesday in Addis Ababa
launched a song ``Do Agric, It pays,`` to urge
African leaders to commit 10 per cent of their national budgets to
agriculture.
D’banj song was
launched as part of a South Africa base
Civil Society Organisation ``The ONE``campaign effort to push political leaders
to adopt better policies that would
boost productivity, increase incomes and reduce poverty.
He said, during the launch, that there were massive untapped
business opportunities in agriculture that could create jobs for millions of
Africans on and off the farm.
``I want Africans to know that farming is not only the
foundation of the economy, but also that farming is cool. I believe that, if
the needed attention is given to agriculture, we Africans will not only feed
ourselves, but also the rest of the world, D’banj said at the launch.
According to him, while other African leaders have made
statements of goodwill, currently only eight countries have kept their promise
to invest 10 per cent of their national budgets in agriculture.
Also at the launch was the Cote d’Iviore Footballer and
Manchester City Midfielder, Yaya Toure, who said Agriculture was essential and
leaders needed to do more to go further as ``agriculture is not only important,
it is also vital. Agriculture pays.``
The launch of `Do Agriculture' in Addis Ababa was part of
the Civil Society effort to push African leaders to increase spending at the
22nd AU Assembly of Heads of State that declared 2014 the Year of Agriculture
in Africa.
Speaking at the launch, The ONE Africa Director, Dr Sipho
Moyo, said 70 per cent of the estimated 400 million Africans living in extreme
poverty in rural areas depended on agriculture.
``Remarkably, the multiplier effect of agricultural growth
in sub-Saharan Africa is estimated to be 11 times greater in reducing poverty
than in other non-agriculture sectors, such as utilities and mining.
``So now is the time to get our leaders to commit to a big
push toward implementing effective agricultural policies, scale up public
investment in agriculture and catalyse private sector participation in
agriculture development,``Moyo said.
The event attracted personalities including Tanzanian
President Jakaya Kikwete and Beninois President, Dr Thomas Yayi Boni.
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