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"Come on, I'm going to show you what a billion dollar looks like," said PJ Okocha, opening the door of a small modern house in southern Nigeria to reveal a thousand young yam seedlings . can make three million seeds, "he said, with a broad smile.
At only 34 years old, Peter Okocha Junior is a big winner.
Mr. Okocha did his teeth in the maritime and logistical affairs of his family, then decided to forge his own way.
He identified Nigeria's agricultural sector as a huge potential where it can have the most impact. he is a pioneer of hydroponics.
"I always knew that I wanted to invest in agriculture, but I did not know exactly what I wanted to do," said Mr. Okocha
"One day, I saw an agro-researcher on Twitter. I contacted him, and I said: "Hey brother, let's change the world together." "
His throwing hit home.In a few months, was born their business PS Nutrac
Two years later, tens of thousands of yam plants grow without land, hanging in the air. water in special greenhouses – an advanced farming technique rarely seen in developing countries [19659002] One June afternoon, PS Nutrac's young employees formed a group of old local farmers on a new variety of vegetables. organic yam
Farm communities have been disembowelled by an exodus of young people to make the big cities make their living Chief Awufe Ademola, who is in his sixties and has eight acres of land
In rows in front of him, Old farmers were sitting with curved backs and calloused hands. "With the average age of the African farmer being just above 60, it is imperative for the new generation to embark on l & # 39; agricult "said Mr. Okocha
. and sweating and the work that comes out of it, so to combine it with data, technology, and automation makes it more attractive. "
Food Challenge
Nigeria, home to more than 180 million people, is under pressure to produce more food, and by 2050 it is expected to become the third most populous country in the world.
After the discovery of oil in commercial quantities in the 1950s, Nigeria's thriving agricultural sector experienced a steep decline as successive leaders and investors changed their orientation completely.
The decades have passed and with the collapse of the rail network, agricultural goods now have to be trucked on ruined roads
There are not enough storage sheds, those that exist are not generally refrigerated;
This means that huge quantities of produce are wasted in a country so fertile that it can grow everything from cashew avocados to corn [19659002] "Opportunities in agriculture go beyond the imagination," says Buffy. Okeke-Ojiudu, proud owner of a 495-acre palm oil plantation in the southeast.
"The future billionaires in Nigeria will be people investing in agriculture, technology and renewable energy, the oil sector," said the 34-year-old, whose grandfather was the first Nigeria's Minister of Agriculture
.The main problem for companies is access to bank loans, which attract high interest rates compared to other countries in the region. "L & # Access to finance is a big problem, "said Okeke-Ojiudu, adding that banks are asking for large amounts of collateral and charging double-digit interest rates for agricultural enterprises
. Now, people who invest in this sector is already rich, already connected. "
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