Prince Samuel Joseph Samuel, who runs Origin Automobile Works, wants a wild new rule for government bigwigs. He says ministers and commissioners should be forced to own a farm or partner in one just to keep their jobs. He argued this during a Lagos event for his company's 25th year, claiming Nigeria's food problems come from leaders who are totally disconnected from the dirt of farming. His logic is simple: if they have skin in the game, they will finally understand the sector and use their power to fix it.
He also blasted the lack of a real equipment leasing system, calling it a huge hole in agriculture. He pointed out that just handing out tractors fails without training, maintenance, and insurance. The logistics are broken too, with farms too spread out for hiring schemes to work profitably. Despite this, he believes Nigeria could be a global food leader with better policy and mechanization, especially using data-driven farming. He mentioned his own "Origin Eagle" program trains young engineers, and his company stocks massive equipment to show confidence in the economy.
Comparing Nigeria to giants like the U.S. and Netherlands on export revenue, he stressed agriculture is a long-term relay race, not a short sprint. He warned against quick-fix policies that blow up long-term economic health, saying strong private enterprises are the real key to stability. His firm is already working with various governments to find high-value farm clusters and boost supply chains with technology.
He also blasted the lack of a real equipment leasing system, calling it a huge hole in agriculture. He pointed out that just handing out tractors fails without training, maintenance, and insurance. The logistics are broken too, with farms too spread out for hiring schemes to work profitably. Despite this, he believes Nigeria could be a global food leader with better policy and mechanization, especially using data-driven farming. He mentioned his own "Origin Eagle" program trains young engineers, and his company stocks massive equipment to show confidence in the economy.
Comparing Nigeria to giants like the U.S. and Netherlands on export revenue, he stressed agriculture is a long-term relay race, not a short sprint. He warned against quick-fix policies that blow up long-term economic health, saying strong private enterprises are the real key to stability. His firm is already working with various governments to find high-value farm clusters and boost supply chains with technology.
