Abuja Agripreneurs learn about the prospects of urban farming
Per Hillbur, associate professor at Malmo University, Sweden, accompanied by Sadiq Gulma, environmental engineer at the Abuja-based NGO Green Habitat, visited IITA Abuja station on 24 August to discuss with the Agripreneurs the prospect of urban and organic farming as a means of practicing agriculture sustainably.
A representative of IYA-Abuja, Per Hillbur, Gbassey Tarawali (Head of station), and Sadiq Gulma at the IITA-Abuja Station.
The visitors listened keenly to the presentation of the youth group about their activities and suggested urban farming as an alternative with the benefit of solving the problem of acquiring a large expanse of land for farming.
“I am delighted at what the youth are achieving in agriculture; however, I envisage that there may be constraints to getting land when some of you decide to go into private agricultural practice,” Hillbur said.
He proposed three main areas―Green roof technology (vegetation on roofs), Urban biodiversity, and Urban agriculture citing Malmo in Sweden, his home city, as a case study of a success story in urban farming.
“Farming on rooftops (Green Roof Agriculture) has a healthy effect on the micro and macro climate with an added potential of producing organic crops from these types of farms. Gulma is presently working on how to provide considerable reduction in the need for air conditioning systems from the use of green roof technologies. I encourage you youth to look into the prospects of urban farming as a venture that would safeguard the future while putting food on the table of urban dwellers.”
Hillbur also discussed about the prospects of collaborating with the IITA Youth Agripreneurs on an urban farming project particularly on urban vegetable farming and business models. A communication channel was also initiated by Hillbur to begin talks on collaborative possibilities, between Malmo University and the Agripreneurs.
