A WAKE-UP CALL TO FARMERS

I don’t care about politics or law whatsoever. I am happy. I have my farmland. -?Anonymous farmer.

This is not the first time I have heard a farmer talk like this. The farmers that I have come across, give an aura of independence. Maybe not all farmers but the ones I have met always and most times give that aura and believe me I have met a lot.

This attitude is one I do admire because it’s the entrepreneur mindset; a mindset of I can accomplish my goals with or without money. Too much of everything can have some negative impact. Some of the farmers I have met seem not interested in politics. When I say politics, I mean the government's policies or how they go about their activities. They tell me that they would always survive no matter what.

Looking at the flood in Nigeria makes me see flaws in that thinking. Policies affect the farmer's everyday life whether he or she likes it or not. It interferes with their ability to live an independent life. The flood is one of the many examples showing how much of an impact the government has on our livelihood.

How many farms have been destroyed by the flood? How many damages have farmers in Nigeria faced because of a preventable flood? Right now, we cannot tell as 31 out of 36 states are affected by this flood.

This is not a political speech but it is a wake-up call for farmers to always ask for policies from the government they elect or want to elect. The farmer has to understand that a bad policy can ruin years of hard work. A policy can also make an independent farmer dependent.

The farmer should be aware of the recent policies that are being placed that affect his livelihood. It is in the farmer's best interest to be interested in what is going on around him. Ignorance isn’t always bliss, sometimes it is detrimental.?

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