Every new day seems to be challenging for every Nigerians with the prevailing killer disease, spreading sporadically without discrimination of region across the country irrespective of your differences, we are all finding possible cure because this killer disease has no vaccine to prevent spreading within the country, unfortunately all efforts to curtail the disease become abortive, this disease become everyone night mere, being a religious and spiritual country we are all praying and chanting for miracle , everywhere become a temple for prayer, we can only feel the disease ones it strike us, we become so helpless and extremely weak all we can do is to take our medication daily, with the current economic situation now 85% of Nigerians can’t afford the prescribed medication for the killer disease it become a life-threatening diseases, only if we can all realize that the cure to this killer disease is at everyone home.
What is the killer disease?
HUNGER
What is the cure?
Food Security
What is the solution?
Home Garden
There is no doubt that the adoption of Home Garden by every Nigerian will enable us to access wider varieties of vegetables and nutritional fruits for our-daily consumption.
What is a home garden?
Home Garden is the art of cultivation of selected varieties of leafy vegetable and different choice of nutritional fruits in accordance to the family needs.
Dear Nigerians, it is not a must we feed the nation, but it is a must we create an immediate source of food in our various homes I.e home garden, trust me when our stomach is well fed conveniently, we are step ahead to ensure food security in our country.
Marsh and Talukder (1994) and Zerihun, Weyessa and Adugna (2011), stated that home gardening provides a diversity of fresh foods that improve the quantity and quality of nutrients available to the family.
According to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition report (FAO et al., 2020), some two billion people faced food insecurity at the moderate or severe level. Since 2014, these numbers have been climbing, rising by 60 million over five years.
Oyeleke Bola PRESIDENT/CEO of Tomatoes and Orchard Producers Association of Nigeria (TOPAN) also commented that, Home garden will help in improve productivity in Nigeria and also make the farmers concentrate on industrialization, with more home garden in the system it will enhance food security and nutrition improvement in Nigeria.
Founder/CEO Jay Tech & Allied Resource and Group Managing Director (AIDA) GROUP, Muhammad Jamil Abubakar also commented that, “The rapid expansion of the COVID-19 pandemic, engulfing 186 countries between December 2019 and March 2020, has aggravated risks of severe/extreme food insecurity from 135 million in January 2020 to 265 million by the end of 2020 and still counting. Home gardening and urban agriculture is a very sure way for advancing food and nutritional security in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Importance of Home Garden to Nigerians
Solution to food security: The availability of food, accessible and affordable in the country irrespective of financial status of every citizen define food security, there is no doubt that the reverse is the case in Nigeria ,with the impact of COVID – 19 pandemic food security become a nightmare to every Nigerian, with the increase of foreign exchange of dollar to naira we are currently facing food-insecurity, we can no longer depends on import of commodity to our country, it is now paramount we create immediate source of foods in our various home i.e home
It promote organic growing: The adoption of home garden by every Nigerians will enable us to promote healthy lifestyle, we can have access to fruits and vegetables that are non-chemical produce, being a gardener of your home will promote the use of organic fertilizer as growing media, also it promote the use of cultural management for pest and disease infestation in our various garden.
Health is wealth, be glad to take a bold step of being a gardener of your home with joy.
Promote healthy ecosystem: we are all creating awareness for a green environment, but we fail to realise that utilizing home gardens as a solution toward global warming, the inclusion of carbon sequence plants e.g Conifers, Step tree & Masquerade tree, in our home garden will enhance a healthy ecosystem.
Assumption of Most Nigerians Toward the Adoption of Home Garden
“Dear Nigerians we remain where we are today because we mostly fail to ask question, we got every solution to our prevailing challenges only if those in the past could have choose to ask enough questions rather than assumption, sadly we end up burying millions of brain cells without asking them enough questions for today”
Expensive to adopt: Most Nigerians assume that establishing a home garden is quite expensive and may not be affordable by the poorest of poor in the country.
These are facts that are not genuine, these are mentality we choose to believe just because of our lack of ability to ask questions. All we need for adoption of a home garden is adequate knowledge, proper utilization of available space and good management practice.
We should always endeavour to create possibilities out of the impossible.
Time consuming : The result of being patient over everything in life is always worthy. A home garden is not a one man business, rather it is a daily activity that brings family love and unity where every member of the family is scheduled on daily activities, with these fruitful harvest should be expected in various homes.
Technical Guide for Home Garden Production
Identification of space: careful decision-making process should be allow when allocating space for home garden to satisfy conditions and requirement for plant growth
Family Size: The number of families being nuclear or extended family determine the size of space to be allocated for home garden, irrespective of the family size even with little space we can always result in different growing medium alternatives.
Choice of Food: Identification of family basic leafy vegetables, fruits, spices, herbs and other food consumption determine the possible layout of home garden in our various homes.
Materials and equipment: home garden tools to procure prior to production depends on family affordability, while non-available ones can be improvised it depends on our creativity.
Records Keeping: proper taking of records on every activities during and after cultivation is very important
Team Work: Adequate scheduling of gardening activities across every member of the family makes gardening management more friendly.
Management: proper monitoring of plant growth should be carefully followed, allowing group discussion and finding solutions to occurring problems.
Consultancy: Asking professional for guide and more technical principles to follow for a healthy, high quality and quantity yield shouldn’t be neglected
“If only Nigeria could once again be a nation of self-reliant, Seeing home garden as a lasting solution to food security, by creating immediate source of food in our various home, while every Nigerian become a gardener to his family, in the end our dear nation could once again be the true giant of Africa”
Growing your own vegetables can be fun as well as rewarding, all you need to get started is – some decent soil & few choice of plants, this will provide you fresh healthy vegetables to your family and loved ones, but if you want to become a professional vegetable gardener then you will have to learn and understand what it takes to keep your plants healthy as well as strong. Some of the vegetables and nutritional fruits that you can easily grow in your home garden include spinach, cauliflower, green peas, jute Mallow, pumpkin, guava, orange mangoes, pineapple and Banana etc. Also, good home gardening plans have been discussed in this article, it must be noted that there are many vegetables that can also be grown in pots.
We hope that this article serves as an introduction guide to Home Garden Production for every citizen of Nigerians across the country, finally as part of my contribution toward food security in Nigeria, I hereby offer free online consultant service on Home Garden Production for every citizen of Nigeria across the country.
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Email: lawalafolashade2004@gmail.com
Phone number: 09154683270
Thank you for clicking on the link, i am Nafesat Lawal, i will be quick to reply all your comments
Well Done ! Thats sustainable farmimg
Thanks so much I appreciate
Well done
Thank so much sir it my pleasure doing this
Fantastic
Am glad you find it useful, so are you planning to set up home garden soon. let put our words in to action
This is great and a nice and inspiration
Am you find it insightful, so now tell me are you planning to set up home garden soon?
GWow. Great and brilliant and inspiring idea. Well done Nafesat.
Charles Eda, am so glad you find this information resourceful, if I may ask did you have a garden?if you don’t message me so that we can do it together
When the kids play under d tree along d fruit on it they pray for both d ventilation n d people who cultivate d fruit, God bless you my
beloved sister always proud of u ❤️ agbeloba always
Am so glad you find it useful, i hope you are planning to set up your home garden soon.it a pleasure doing this
We are thankful for this enlightenment. May God glorify you with wisdom in your affairs
Alihamdulilah. it my pleasure doing this
This will go a long way in reducing home waste and environmental pollution.
Good writeup
Am always happy getting response from you out of your busy schedule. sir I hope your veggies are growing well?
Well said. A fantastic write-up.
Awwn mariam, irrespective of your discipline mariam, am sure you should be willing to have a garden soon.
Don’t be scared we can do it together
Walahi dear sister, It will go a long in solving hunger prb in the country oh.
It will make us the citizens to valve and know d stress farmers through for them to feed us.
It will even make citizens earning low-Income to be able to feed and cater for his family very well with his little income oh.
so true Mr Lawal.let put our words in to action by being a gardener of your home
Well written dear colleague… Barakallahu fik
Amen my dear.so did you have a garden at home? if you don’t let work it together
This is very impressive, it’s encourage healthy living by eating fresh fruits and vegetables.. looking forward to have mine soon. kudos to u
wit a pleasure doing this, we can work it out, just message me soon
Super fantastic and dupe waoo it’s makes a lot of sense. This is a beautiful beginning I love it more wisdom
Am glad you find it useful sir
so let discuss when will you set up your garden soon
This is beautiful write up and well educative. Good job
Mr Bola I have your attention but that not all I want , did you have a garden at home? if you don’t let discuss it together
Good job. This will help toward the conservation of ecosystem.
sure healthy ecosystem should be our concern
Nice one
it so nice indeed
Wow what a resourceful and impactful piece. Moreover, apart from ensuring food security and fringe benefits of income supply, this will help in conserving the ecosystem and mitigating the effect of climate change as part of the SDG’S goals.
Thank you.
you are verry right, so proud of your view. I hope you have a garden at home?
Wow, beautiful I am inspired by this I think I need to set up my own garden.
yes you should and we can do it together
Lovely, I pray many ladies and youths sees this and emulate your good work. Is very educative and I love the article, more wins dear.
Am glad you find it useful
Thank you for your sharing..I appreciate your efforts.
it a pleasure doing this sir
There is a saying that goes like this, Give man a fish and feed him once, teach the man how to fish and feed him for life.
The is truly teaching us how to fish, Nafesa you are doing a great job here and you have no idea how many live you will be changing. You reward is in heaven. I wish you more grease to your elbow’s.
mentee this message of yours gladden my hearth.
Wow. This is beautiful. Please don’t relent. Your voice will be heard
it my pleasure doing this and am not giving up
Awesome! This article suppose to be shared with all Nigerians, not only farmers. Because, we all need food!
Either you practice subsistence farming or commercial farming it will be more fascinating if you consult some experts in the field.
well said so true maliku
Awesome article. This is what our people need to know… and more. Thank you for this. We also have a home garden project going on and wouldn’t mind sharing minds across the Niger. Well done ✅
waooo that so good.i wish you sucess in the project
Alhamudullahi robil-l-alamin 💓 u make me feel proud n hope that one day nigeria is going to better with this green light of ur knowledge about our lost hope in getting abundant food to satisfy the empty stomach with a small amount about of money and commitment. Wow agbeloba sis
mama na it a pleasure doing this, let grow together then we can a garden of our desire
Wow this is educative more grace
it is so nice
Nice one dear…wish u success 🙏
Thanks so much I appreciate
This is a good form of sensitization and a means of rejuvenation of our lost cultural value (The farming spirit of Africa), more grease to your elbow.
Thanks so much
N this write up is coming at a time it is needed the most. If home gardening is fully embraced, it will address issues such as hidden hunger, Water conservation, environmental degradation & climate change to mention but a few.
This piece needs a wider coverage to reach the target audience.
I see you going places in the foreseeable future. 👍
you inspire me to do more.
Am speachless
It is full of life, passion and great vision. Your write up was very helpful and I believe in it as well. May you not lack wisdom to be a pure reflection of what you teach to not only your home, family and generations. Keep up with ,ears are hearing ,as eyes have seen and voices will respond to stipulate the perfect action. #proudly Nigerian Agrarian# NAFEESAT LAWAL
6Am really speechless and I appreciate
Fantastic Weldon
sir I am glad you find it useful
Wow, this is an eye-opener, very insightful. You are doing well ma.
it my pleasure ma
Great work
Very interesting Article, I enjoyed reading this article to the high level. I also begin to think of the way to actualize it in the nearest future.
I pray may Allah increase you in knowledge, wisdom and ability to continue to educate people in such important things under your area of specialization. I am very much sure that no one could read this article without driving something meaningful.
Jazakumullahu khairan.
Alihamdulilah thanks so much
This is an interesting and insightful read, more so for those interested in food security mitigation strategies and measures like myself.
Seeing that majority of sub-saharan nations are already dealing with food insecurity especially in urban areas, do think this can be replicted beyond Nigeria?
waooo that so true and thank you for your insightful comment