ICT can woo youths to agriculture sector
The Lilongwe University of Natural Resources and Agriculture (Luanar) has said the use of Information and Communication Technologies in agriculture can be key to wooing the youth into the sector.
Luanar’s deputy vice-chancellor Professor Emmanuel Kaunda made the remarks on Wednesday in Lilongwe when Airtel Malawi handed over 10 tablets to the institution for student use.
The digital 3G data-enabled tablets will also benefit the Natural Resources College.
“Times have changed and lots of youths want to move with technology. This is the only way students tend to shun agricultural programmes as areas of study and yet Malawi, as an agro-based economy, needs more experts in this field.
“ICT can surely help attract and retain the youth in the sector and this include high tech laboratories and increasing farm mechanisation,” Kaunda said in an interview on the sidelines of the ceremony.
His remarks come weeks after the African Union (AU) urged member states to seek ways on how best to make agriculture attractive to the youth.
AU commissioner for Agriculture and food security Dr Timusiine Rhoda- Peace told the just ended Agricultural Green Revolution Forum (AGRF) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia that the continent’s drive to achieve food and nutrition security may be meaningless if youths—who form the majority of the regional population—are left out of the agriculture sector.
The call was also echoed by former United Nations secretary general Koffi Annan at the same summit who challenged African states to “make agriculture sexy to the youth as this is the only way to ensure we continue feeding the present and the future; it will ensure sustainable productivity.”
In his remarks, Airtel ICT director Dr Mathews Mtumbuka said his company understands the significance of ICTs in learning hence the donation.
“We realise it is imperative for scholars to have access to the right equipment and resources…the onus is now upon you to make the most of these devices to shape the future of your learning experience and drive the agenda for a healthy and prosperous nation,” he said.
Luanar’s Bunda and NRC campuses bring to 10 the number of institutions of higher learning where Airtel has donated the gadgets this year alone.
