US-based Igbo Thinker Urges Africans to Shift Focus from Prayers to Agriculture for Survival

By TONY OKAFOR, AWKA

A prominent Igbo thinker and director of Nkolo Mahadum (Wisdom University), Obiora Mba, a US-based pharmacist, has called on Ndigbo and Africans to redirect their focus from prayers to agriculture as a means of survival.

Speaking in Awka, the Anambra State capital, Mba emphasized that the plethora of churches and prayer centre scattered across Igbo land and Nigeria would dwindle if people became gainfully employed.

Mba attributed the disparity between African societies and the Western world to functional systems that prioritize citizen employment welfare.

He stressed that peace, progress, and prosperity in Igbo land and Africa could be achieved through strategic investments in agriculture, leveraging fertile lands and human resources to produce sufficient food for consumption and export.

“With the approaching rainy season, it is imperative for governments in Igbo land and Africa to invest seriously in agriculture,” Mba said, adding,”We propose that governments develop plans to cultivate specific crops, provide loans to willing farmers, and establish farm settlements.”

Mba suggested that farm settlements could be established in various parts of Anambra State, such as Ayamelum, with governments compensating landowners for used lands.

He emphasized the need for government assistance in food production, citing the high cost of food and the reliance on imports from other regions.

Mba advocated for massive individual involvement in agriculture, rejecting large-scale farming as a colonial concept.

Instead, he promoted Igbo sole proprietorship in agriculture, which he believes would provide more employment opportunities and ownership.

Beyond agriculture, Mba urged governments to establish industries, provide loans to entrepreneurs, and decentralize government structures to release funds for development.

He also suggested making the legislature part-time to reduce government wastage and allocate more resources to the people.

By prioritizing agriculture and entrepreneurship, Mba believes that Ndigbo and Africans can break the cycle of poverty and achieve prosperity.