World Food Day: Diri Urges Bayelsa Youths To Embrace Agriculture, Receives AFAN Award…Says Farming Is A Career, Not Punishment
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has urged youths in the state to embrace agriculture as a viable career and business opportunity, describing farming as a pathway to wealth creation, employment and food security.
Diri made the call on Friday during the 2026 World Food Day celebration, themed “Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow,” at the Chief DSP Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall in Yenagoa.
The governor, who was represented by his deputy, Dr Peter Akpe, encouraged young people to take advantage of the state's agricultural potential rather than remain idle while waiting for white-collar jobs.
He also urged civil servants and households to embrace backyard farming and called on financial institutions to make credit facilities more accessible to smallholder farmers.
Diri described the agripreneurs and grant beneficiaries who shared their success stories at the event as evidence that agriculture in Bayelsa had evolved beyond a traditional way of life into a viable business capable of generating employment and creating wealth.
He said the state was blessed with fertile land and abundant water resources, adding that his administration had established strategic partnerships to strengthen food production and achieve food security.
According to him, the state had commenced its maiden dry-season farming programme at the Otuasega Farm in Ogbia Local Government Area, while rice mills had been installed at Niger Delta University and the Federal University, Otuoke, in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
He explained that the initiatives were designed to move Made-in-Bayelsa rice from farms to markets, noting that thousands of farmers across the state's eight local government areas had received seedlings and other agricultural inputs.
The governor also highlighted the partnership with CSS Integrated Farms, through which young people had been trained in modern agricultural practices.
He urged farmers to adopt innovative approaches suited to Bayelsa's terrain, including flood-tolerant crop varieties, soilless farming and modern aquaculture, to complement traditional fishing activities affected by environmental pollution.
Diri further encouraged farmers to strengthen partnerships and invest in food processing, storage and cold-chain facilities to reduce post-harvest losses.
He commended the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the LIFE-ND programme for supporting agribusiness development among young people. He also praised the Peremabiri Farmers Cluster for demonstrating the benefits of organised and innovative farming.
On farmers' security, the governor warned herders against attacks on farmers in the state, stressing that Bayelsa's law prohibiting open grazing remained in force.
He commended the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources for organising the celebration and urged it to work towards achieving the government's agricultural targets, particularly the production of locally grown rice for consumption during the Yuletide season.
The governor stressed that government could not achieve food security without the active participation of citizens, noting that its responsibility was to provide an enabling environment through infrastructure, access roads, security and support for farming settlements.
“Our focus on roads cannot be derailed. We must construct bridges to farms and support farming settlements. We must also continue to improve security for farmers and their crops,” he said.
He called on Bayelsa youths to return to agriculture and increase their participation in relevant government-supported agricultural programmes.
“We are already witnessing some changes. In fact, many people from outside the state are taking advantage of the beauty and productivity of our soil and are engaging in fishing and farming,” he said.
Diri added that the success stories of grant beneficiaries and agripreneurs demonstrated that agriculture could serve as a sustainable source of employment and economic empowerment.
17,300 Farmers Receive Support Since 2020
In his address, the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Prof. Beke Sese, disclosed that more than 17,300 farmers had received direct support from the state government since 2020 through various initiatives, including the Accelerated Agricultural Development Scheme, Diri BOOST and the Prosperity Farmers Grant Scheme.
He said 2,106 farmers, fishers and processors across the eight local government areas received grants in 2026 alone, adding that the beneficiaries were expanding their agricultural activities and contributing to the state's food production drive.
Sese also announced that Bayelsa's 410-tonne-per-day rice milling plant was fully operational and processing paddy into polished, locally produced rice.
According to him, the state was cultivating 106 hectares of rice and purchasing paddy from supplying communities to guarantee a market for farmers' produce.
“We are cultivating 106 hectares of rice and buying paddy from the communities we supply, so that while you plant, you know a buyer is waiting,” he said.
The commissioner disclosed that the Bayelsa rice plant was undergoing laboratory analysis for food and nutritional certification ahead of its official market launch.
He added that Governor Diri had directed the ministry to produce 300,000 kilogrammes of Made-in-Bayelsa rice by the end of 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen food sufficiency and economic prosperity.
“Bayelsa is indeed strengthening its drive towards food sufficiency and economic prosperity,” Sese said.
AFAN Honours Diri for Agricultural Development
In his remarks, the National President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Dr. Farouk Rabiu Mudi, commended the Diri administration for its efforts to support farmers and develop the agricultural sector.
Mudi, on behalf of the association, presented Governor Diri with an Award of Excellence, naming him the Best Governor in Agricultural Connectivity and Farmers' Support in the country.
He explained that the award programme, launched in August 2026, was designed to recognise state governments making significant contributions to agricultural development.
According to him, AFAN's research and assessment of state agricultural programmes informed the selection of 12 governors for the awards, with two governors drawn from each of the six geopolitical zones.
The AFAN president also presented a crown-shaped trophy to Diri, explaining that the special recognition was reserved for only six governors nationwide.
He urged communities and farmers' associations yet to register with AFAN to do so to strengthen farmers' participation and representation in the country's agricultural sector.
