‘Why I Went Into Farming’ – Obasanjo

Former Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo has opined that he is always proud to be addressed as a farmer.

Speaking on Saturday in an interview with Segun Odegbami on Eagles7 Sports 103.7 FM, Abeokuta, Obasanjo said everything about his life happened by accident except farming.

Odegbami had asked Obasanjo to speak about what he termed his “romance with farming”.

In response, Obasanjo expressed displeasure on the usage of the word ‘romance with farming’ stating that he is a farmer and it’s not by accident.

Giving his reasons, the former president said he went into farming for the purpose of food security, export, industrialisation and means of generating employment for the youths.

He said: “I don’t like the word you used, ‘romance with farming’. I am a farmer. What do you mean by romance? Everything I have done in my life is by accident. The only thing that is not accidental is farming. Every other thing that I’ve been is by accident. And you called that romance? No! What do you mean by romance?

“You know my beginning. I was born and bred in a village. I went to school by accident. My father just said, won’t you do something different?’ So I went into farming.

“When you look at countries that have made it, they developed on agriculture. First, for the purpose of food security; second, for the purpose of processing what they get from their farms, which is the beginning of industrialisation. Third, to give it out as export, which is for the purpose of foreign exchange; and fourth, as a means of generating employment for the youth.”