Unlocking Africa’s boundless treasure (2)
Olukayode OyeleyeJuly 9, 2018
The idea behind saving a beleaguered Africa was commendable. Nonetheless, the interventionists had a tunnel vision: they forgot alternatives, or probably discountenanced them. Until much later, when public outcry became loud, it did not seem appropriate – at first – that Africa needed trade, not aid. Reports from assessment studies tracking the aid distribution subsequently […]
Unlocking Africa’s boundless treasure (1)
Olukayode OyeleyeJuly 2, 2018
Much has been argued about the ascendancy of Asia in the emerging global economy. Publications, commentaries, documentaries and broadcast resources abound, putting Asia’s rising profile in perspective as the next global economic hub. The nascent Asian tigers, emerging at the twilight of the last century, rode on the back of the popular press and the […]
Dealing with drought in Africa’s slowing agro-economy
Olukayode OyeleyeJune 26, 2018
Africa is in a race against time, with global climate events ahead of the race. Generic considerations of climate events tend to divert attention away from one of the major consequences, with direct, measurable and palpable effects. Although the unit of analysis of the vulnerable in this context is mostly the rural farming and sometimes […]
Between food security and Africa’s looming climate emergency
Olukayode OyeleyeJune 19, 2018
AFRICA CURRENTLY STANDS at crossroads, hedging against food insecurity. Experiences across the regions uniformly indicate grim prospects and of vulnerabilities. Something drastic needs to happen to halt the drift. Here is the big question: How would Africa feed itself amidst the combination of negative factors that make agriculture more of a nightmare than a delight? […]
Branding and marketing Africa’s agriculture: Time is now
Olukayode OyeleyeJune 11, 2018
There are many reasons to be optimistic about Africa. One of such was articulated by McKinsey, a consulting firm. In McKinsey’s reckoning: “Africa’s growth prospects are bright” even though they differ country by country and sector by sector. Focusing on sectors, McKinsey’s verdict was that “agriculture is Africa’s largest economic sector, representing 15 percent of […]
Unlocking the potential of African youth (2)
Olukayode OyeleyeJune 5, 2018
RECOGNITION OF THE STRATEGIC relevance of the youthful population in any nation, economy or continent is essential. This needs to elicit appropriate policy responses to make them relevant, useful, productive and hopeful. Denial of such responses has culminated in untoward consequences in many cases in contemporary times. Although the level and nature of grievances often differ, when […]
Unlocking the potential of African youth
Olukayode OyeleyeMay 28, 2018
Africa sits on a time bomb, waiting to explode for good or for ill. With a population estimated at 1,287,920,518 in 2018, a population density of 42.51, a growth rate of 2.52 percent and projected to rise to 1,703,537,504, a population density of 56.22 and a growth rate of 2.23 percent, by 2030, the continent […]
Could cassava be Africa’s key to food security and economic take-off? (2)
Olukayode OyeleyeMay 23, 2018
Africa earns the reputation of producing more cassava than any other crop. FAO figures, in 2011, revealed that the continent produced 140 million metric tonnes, compared to 65 million tonnes of maize. Easy to grow in poor soils, with few inputs, it has long been an important and cheap source of food. According to Dr. […]
Could cassava be Africa’s key to food security, economic take-off? (1)
Olukayode OyeleyeMay 14, 2018
The centre of gravity of food security may indeed be shifting from the global north to the global south. In this tectonic shift, Africa ranks top as the destination and theatre of action. Emerging findings point in this direction, which could be corroborated by the events in the aftermath of the global food crises about […]
Sustaining agriculture and food security in Africa through innovation
Olukayode OyeleyeMay 7, 2018
African continent presents stark contrasts in socio-economic contexts. In these contexts are embedded contradictions and crises associated with development, wealth creation and well-being on a continental scale. In food production and consumption, the current realities remain worrisome. This is despite the enormous potential in agriculture that remains to be unlocked. With a landmass of about […]