jensinmi:

@ 2muchlogic: I don dey feel you throughout this thread.

I do have to say that Aribisala0 has a point here.

Biotech is good and nice. But we can still go very far with the most basic stuff.

Problem is we have not even tried at all. It doesn't take more than water, seed, and tractors to begin the process.
We just haven't been bothered yet.

I'm very interested in Agriculture. I need to get some arable farm land in my Ekiti State.
I'm not greedy. 500 hectares is enough for a start.  

ekt_bear:

This isn't really about cleverness. It is about finding ways of boosting productivity. We cannot both refuse to take advantage of the opportunities available in Nigeria and also prevent others from doing so. That makes no sense.

Granted, it'll be necessary to ensure that you don't get ripped off. But it still seems important to explore the option.

emiye:

Good one!, me thinks the advantages outweighs the minuses. The state govt can go on a concession agreement with the firm , hoping they have a wonderful legal and regulatory framework for the project, the firm must not just create jobs for Nigerians, but focus on human capital development for nigerians on modern commercial farming techniques .  

That will make a good bargain, we can not continue to deceive ourselves with the claim of an arable land that we have left dormant all along, moreover the state govt does not have the fiscal prowess for massive projects of such nature, without it affecting other pressing needs like education, health e.t.c  

ekt_bear:

This isn't really about cleverness. It is about finding ways of boosting productivity.

ekt_bear:

We cannot both refuse to take advantage of the opportunities available in Nigeria and also prevent others from doing so. That makes no sense.

ekt_bear:


Granted, [size=15pt]it'll be necessary to ensure that you don't get ripped off[/size]. But it still seems important to explore the option.

ekt_bear:

^-- +1

Nigerians annoy the hell out of me sometimes.

They have no interest in farming themselves. But if a foreigner comes in to do the same exact thing ya'll refuse to do and would rather be speculating on real estate deals, importing, or whatever else you do for money, then suddenly it is neocolonialism.

Better that the land remain unused and idle than productive if the man making it productive is foreign, I guess

seanet03:

Aigbofa lan wo oke, Ifa kan o sini para, long time.

Kobojunkie:

Much of our Nigerian problem is one born of arrogance, not ignorance.

Kilode?!:

^. . . because we don't know enough? no real depth to the knowledge.

Like St Augustine said, Half-knowledge is more dangerous than total ignorance(my paraphrase)

If makes you arrogant, unyielding and difficult, because you are too ignorant to realize that you don't know enough. So you learn nothing.

Kobojunkie:

^^^ Ignorance? --- remember when it was claimed that Nigerians happen to be some of the most educated people on the planet? We have PHDs in our Government . . . we have PHDs on our streets. No, it can't be ignorance. Ignorance itself implies a lack of knowledge -- I don't think that is it.

The results of the last elections alone have more than convinced me, at this point, that we are not necessarily ignorant -- we resist change more out of arrogance, not ignorance. We KNOW but we refuse because . . . .

OAM4J:

Yes I agree we have lots of arrogant Nigerians, but there are lot of Nigerians who know nothing but think they know so much, they are sincerely Ignorant.

Kilode?!:

@Kobo, common sense requires good judgement and that is not a common easy thing to acquire.
It comes from a deep understanding of the world around you and how is affects you (or whatever it is you want to do) beyond the surface stuff that any idi/ot with two eyes can see.

Common sense is backed by something deeper than mere Information. What you "know and see to be true"  as you said, is not so apparent to many folks.

Kilode?!:

Back to topic: I just want us to exercise caution, if we have good leaders with proven track record of protecting the interests of their people over immediate gain. Most people here won't be skeptical. As a matter of fact, Africa will not need Koreans to acquire lands. We will just take advantage of the looming food scarcity and force them to depend on us and our Arable land for survival. But alas.

Kilode?!:

^^^I highlighted the land grab issue to point to the need for caution, not because of any fear mongering, and if you read my comment on page one below the article, you will see my conclusion about the need to proceed with caution and reference to my belief that the new Ekiti Governor has a good head on his shoulder and should therefore strike a good deal.

Americans have their own foreign investors to worry about, not my problem really if they sell their country to China.

But at the same time, if you follow US issues very well I'm sure you are aware of how America blocked the sale of about 5 or six US Ports to DP World, a well regarded, very efficient ports management company owned by Dubai. They gave national security reasons, many US business leaders argued in support of the deal including the president and many argued against it. Obviously America lost a great deal because some people believe they need to protect America from outside control, same reason some of the folks here are giving.

Now, you can ask what is the alternative for us? And I'll say as long as the Ekiti State Leaders can strike a good deal that will benefit the people then no problem, or better still develop the land themselves, but will they? Can they strike a good deal, will they put the land to good use by themselves? I really don't know for sure, all I can do is to point out the dangers since they already highlighted the benefits.

Kilode?!:

Americans have their own foreign investors to worry about, not my problem really if they sell their country to China.

Kilode?!:
But at the same time, America blocked the sale of about 5 or six US Ports to DP World, a well regarded, very efficient ports management company owned by Dubai. They gave national security reasons, many US business leaders argued in support of the deal including the president and many argued against it.

Kilode?!:

Now, you can ask what is the alternative for us? And I'll say as long as the Ekiti State Leaders can strike a good deal that will benefit the people then no problem, or better still develop the land themselves, but will they? Can they strike a good deal, will they put the land to good use by themselves? I really don't know for sure, all I can do is to point out the dangers since they already highlighted the benefits.

Kilode?!:

BTW, I'm sorry, My forefathers were not uneducated, ignorant and unexposed to the knowledge needed to run their own society.

Kobojunkie:

Notice how the above DOES NOT REMOVE from the fact that your so-called land-grab is NOT UNIQUE to Nigeria. Most all countries out there sell/lease land/properties to people/investors of other nationalities on a regularly basis. So I still see no reason for the "article" in this.