The Fourth Plate

By Marvelous Onuoha

My name is Marvelous Onuoha. I’m a graduate of the Department of Fisheries from the University of Port Harcourt in Nigeria. To be honest, I never wanted to study Fisheries or anything related to agriculture because back in primary and secondary school, we were conditioned to believe that agriculture was a poor man’s profession. Because of that mindset, I had no interest in the field.

When I took the JAMB exam, I attempted it three times with one goal: to study Nursing. On my fourth attempt, I was offered Fisheries instead. My parents couldn’t afford for me to keep applying to other schools, so I had no choice but to accept. I told myself I’d just get the certificate and later pursue something entirely different.

Throughout school, I struggled. Fisheries wasn’t what I wanted, and I felt disconnected from the discipline. I graduated in January 2024, still unsure about my path.

But something started to shift in me. During my time at the university, I was exposed to the broader world of fisheries and agriculture. I realized it’s not just about raising fish—it’s a vast, dynamic, and impactful field. The problem was that we weren’t exposed to this broader perspective.

After graduation, I knew I wanted to do something meaningful, something that would leave a lasting mark. I began to reflect deeply, and inspired by God, felt called to agriculture.

Why? Because many young people are unemployed. Hunger and food insecurity are on the rise. If we continue to neglect agriculture—a sector full of untapped potential—things will only get worse. According to projections, by 2030, food insecurity in Africa will significantly increase if nothing is done.

The truth is, most young people want nothing to do with farming or agriculture. This troubled me. I started asking myself: What can I do to contribute to food security? How can I inspire change?

So I started watching YouTube videos to learn how to grow crops using sack bags and plastic containers. I took everything to social mediacreated awareness about agriculture and encouraged young people to see it differently. I talked about how we can transform the sector with innovation and fresh ideas.

Eventually, I was drawn to crop production. I joined a training program by Leverage Fresh Limited, where I learned how to grow tomatoes. That training became the highlight of my year because, despite lacking access to farmland, I successfully grew tomatoes on a rooftop. It gave me confidence, direction, and a new purpose.

During that same period, I received an award from Oxfam in Nigeria, in partnership with Nigeria Youth SDGs, recognizing my contributions to agricultural development through smart, innovative approaches.

This year, I participated in Enterprise for Youth in Agriculture, a program by Soilless Farm Lab, which provided me practical knowledge about agricultural advancement. All of these programs were designed to help me gain proper knowledge about agriculture, not society’s misconceptions about it.

Today, my mission is clear: to be part of the change in agriculture in Nigeria.

I want young people to see agriculture not as something for the poor or uneducated, but as a powerful profession filled with opportunities. We need nurses, doctors, engineers, psychologists, economists, lawyers, and all kinds of professionals in the agricultural space.

If young people begin to realize this and bring their diverse skills into agriculture, the sector will transform—and so will our society. We will see reductions in unemployment, poverty, and food insecurity.

For example, post-harvest losses remain a huge challenge. We lack the right infrastructure and technology to preserve and process farm produce effectively. But if we had engineers thinking of solutions—machinery to reduce spoilage, for instance—we’d make serious progress.

Agriculture is broad. There’s room for everyone. And I believe that with passion, innovation, and purpose, we can make it a thriving, respected, and transformative field.