“The Songhai concept is a holistic, integral practice of modern agriculture. Here the students are exposed, trained and encouraged to specialise, either in livestock breeding, crop or forest plants farming. In a few weeks, these trainees graduate and, most importantly, they become entrepreneurs. They can write and organise their own business plans. From their training, they are empowered to produce for themselves and make profits from the proceeds from their farms.”
– Rev. Fr. Godfrey Nzeamaujo. NTA Special Features on the Songhai Agriculture, Sunday, April 9, 2017.
I was in Owerri Oke mba, when the Caribbean poet and dramatist, Derek Walcott, from St. Lucia, threw in the towel. Like Chinua Achebe, who told the world the African story, Walcott told the world the Caribbean story. For the people of Africa, Nigeria and Imo State in particular, Walcott’s thematic depiction of the palm tree as the symbol of strength and resilience found fraternal identification and historic resonance, especially among the Obowo groups in parts of Imo, Abia, Egbema and Ohaji clans in Imo and Rivers states.
What happens to African-Caribbean literature after the passing of the last St. Lucian laureate was on my mind when, suddenly, the NTA Sunday Special Features zoomed in on a grey-bearded Reverend Father. In full command of his subject matter, Fr. Godfrey Nzeamaujo took all the questions and, without blinking an eye, lectured his audience on his prevailing concept of the Songhai agricultural modernisation. Named after one of the moribund empires of the Western Sudan, the Songhai Agricultural Headquarters is located in the Republic of Benin, West Africa.
“We emphasise the power of the individual … More than money and other factors of production, we in the Songhai Farms beseech the individual to draw from his God-given powers to work the farms and become an entrepreneur and make the difference,” the Reverend Father stressed. We also saw in that NTA report that the Songhai farms are cooperating with the ECOWAS Youths and Sports Directorate as the West African Director of Youths and Sports was on the right side of the Songhai Farms founder when he was answering questions from the NTA.
For the first time, the Songhai farming practices have succeeded in attracting the energy of youths to the farms. Many programmes before now failed abysmally because the youths were stuck to their phones and computers, and agriculture couldn’t just catch their fancy.
Songhai, in order to attract this important segment of our population, brought in sports. NTA showed the young farmers. The fine lady who came from Niger, the young man who came from Liberia, the three Nigerian youths and many others all testified that Songhai had changed their perspectives. The technology changed their lives and they have chosen to return to the land. Songhai has indeed changed their careers to full-time farmers!
While the director of ECOWAS Youths and Sports was telling the NTA about the magic of sports in bringing the youth to the farms, my hotel, Star Arrivals, changed the channel, and, behold, it was Manchester City Vs. Hull! Daddy Iheanacho was the cynosure of all eyes as he parked his jeep right there beside the swimming pool and found his way among friends, seated and watching the giant bar screens.
On our introduction, the gentleman announced that, “My son and the Iheanacho family lived in Asaba. Kelechi grew fast in Asaba and the environment was friendly and, if you don’t mind, there used to be a businessman who was the leader of our communities from the South-East in Asaba. He owned the popular gas station called Abraka Petrol Station. Ogbueshi, you are welcome to Owerri…Oke mba.”
By half time, he revealed that there are some other great young Nigerian players waiting for Guardiola to test.
“Whatever happens, this year, by God’s grace, would bring the best from Kelechi. I know my son, the best is yet to come.”
Kelechi Iheanacho probably the greatest black African player of this time, is a native of Imo State. Like Iheanacho, Fr. Nzeamaujo from Emii, Owerri North, who is worshipped like a demigod in many parts of the continent, can in many ways bolster Imo State’s agriculture as the Songhai technology has been recorded to have done in Delta State and all over Africa. The Reverend Father’s direct programmes in Sapele, Warri and parts of Urhobo and Ijawland brought peace to the feuding youths of those areas of the Niger Delta. There, monthly graduating farmers, entrepreneurs, operating and owning their own poultries, piggeries, snail and rabbit farms are leaving the streets and moving to the land.
Understandably, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, Hon. Udo Mbu Agoha, is bent on taking his programme down to the local governments and the schools, and revitalising the agric centres of Imo State. He assured me that, “We shall start by enlightening the people and I’m ready to meet with anybody, any Institution that would bring in the expertise to make sure that the people return to the land and Imo feeds its people and supplies enough to the processing industries.”