By PRECIOUS GIDEON
While many young people dream of landing office or white collar jobs after graduation, I find joy in something different — farming.
Between lectures and assignments, I spend most of my free time tending to a small vegetable farm in Miango, Plateau State, where I grow cabbage and potatoes.
My interest in farming began at home. I grew up watching my father, a pastor, who also farmed. Despite his busy schedule, he always made time for the land.
He often said, “Farming is a gift from God; it feeds both the body and the spirit.” His words taught me that farming is more than hard work — it’s a way of life, a way to stay grounded.
At first, I farmed just to help my family and get fresh food from our land. But over time, I realized it could be more than that.
Selling part of my harvest helped cover some of my needs as a student. It opened my eyes to how agriculture can empower young people to become more self-reliant, even before graduation.
Today, many young Nigerians are beginning to see agriculture differently. With fewer job opportunities, a rising cost of living and the desire for independence, more youths are returning to the farm.
What was once seen as “old people’s work” is becoming a new path for survival and success.
Joy Peter, a young graduate in Jos, shares a similar view. “Farming used to be for villagers or those without education,” she said.
“But now, I see people making good money from it. It’s honest work, and it pays.”
Not everyone agrees, though. Daniel Luka, another youth, believes agriculture is not for everyone. “It’s hard work,” he said.
“Sometimes the weather ruins your crops, and fertilizer prices keep rising. Without tools and support, it’s not easy to continue.”
Daniel may be right. Of course, farming has its challenges. It’s physically demanding and the results can be unpredictable.
Yet for me, it’s deeply rewarding. There’s something fulfilling about planting a seed, caring for it and watching it grow into something useful. It reminds me that success, like farming, requires patience and faith.
For now, I’m still a student. But my dream is to expand my farm and inspire other young people to see agriculture as more than a last resort. It can be a path to independence, food security and personal growth.
In a time when many chase office jobs that may not come soon, I’ve found my own kind of work. It is one that connects me with nature and gives me purpose. The soil may be rough and demanding. But from it grows life, hope and opportunity.
Gideon is of the Department of Mass Communications, Plateau State University, Bokkos