Vera Wisdom-Bassey
The presenter of Gourmet Food Guide on television, Mrs. Lidia Ekeh recently trained pupils of Staff School, University of Lagos, Akoka, on how to produce things, market the products and make money.
The training programme, which attracted many pupils, was held at the Staff School Hall and it also featured a book launch titled ‘Cook Book’.
Ekeh stated that through her outfit, she has been able to touch the lives of young people, ‘’we have been able to show them that they can do something while waiting for admission, or holidaying. Some of this young people can do chin-chin, Zobo, simple foods and can cook very well.’’
She advised parents and well-wishers to encourage the young ones and patronise their products, stating ‘’we need to catch them young and teach them the real life of farming not just about theory, from the planting period to harvesting, and even to the market and how their products could be marketed after harvesting.’’
‘’Nigeria is a very lucrative place for entrepreneurs but power failure, lack of water and other amenities makes it difficult for entrepreneurs to thrive or even do business effectively. Also, changes in government policies discourages entrepreneurs to strive in Nigeria’’, Ekeh explained.
The chairman of Bama Farms Ltd, Prince Wale Oyekoya, tutored the school pupils on rearing of chicken and how to extract milk from the cow.
Oyekoya suggested that the school pupils should be encouraged to have a place in the house and school where they can plant crops. He also suggested they bring small native pots to school so that they can plant maize, pepper, and tomatoes.
Another speaker, Mr. Olatunji Tajudeen, who left Nigeria 30 years ago, said he received free education through government scholarship but his is not happy because the country did not show interest when he graduated, thus he sought greener pasture outside the country.
Tajudeen lamented that government does not pay attention to Agriculture and observed that while growing up, parents did not encourage their children to acquire entrepreneurship skills, stating ‘’they were only interested on knowing what they want to become in life’’.