In 2018, Nchart Benedict graduated with High National Diploma, HND, from the department of Mass Communication in Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria, Kaduna State.
However, instead of Nchart think of developing Curriculum Vitae, CV, to start applying for white-collar or even blue-collar jobs like majority of Nigerian graduates, especially looking at the fierce competition in the labour market, she decided to be financially independent.
28-year-old graduate, born in Kadawa town, a predominantly farming community in Garin-Malam Local Government area of Kano state, Nchart felt the need to venture into farming, an occupation she grew up to see her parents doing.
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Moreover, apart from parents, it is not surprising to see Nchart in a thick green leaves in farm because the community she grew up, is one of the food basket of Kano state.
BizPoint correspondent had an opportunity to meet Nchart at an agricultural programme in Kadawa recently, where she gave an insight on how her dream of becoming a self-reliant became true.
“At first, i was seeing it as impossible for a learnerd and well-trained graduate to be a farmer. But because of the environment i have found myself and with the way things are going, if you are not self-reliant and productive, waiting for white-collar job will not help.
“So, it is better you make do with what you have; the initiative and the things around you that will help you make yourself earn a living in order to help yourself and people around you,” Nchart noted.
Nchart said, after graduating, she had to wait for three years to achieve her dream of becoming a self-reliant as she started farming in 2021 with a capital base of N150,000.
Nchart in a wheat farm.
According to her, she was able to raise the money out of her savings from her National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, allowances and other means.
Narrating how it started, the lady said she began with producing an acre of rice in 2021, which according to her, the yield she got “was surprising.”
According to her, in the single acre she harvested, she raked 36 bags of paddy rice, adding that the harvest was profitable aand what motivated her to move on.
“I really enjoyed my maiden farming because of the productivity and the yield is stunning. I was really surprised with the yield and felt that if i should be waiting for white-collar job to come, the income i got at the first farming was far better than what i would have gotten in a white-collar job,” she said.
Nchart inspecting her rice farm last season.
Nchart disclosed that after her maiden farming season, she subsequently produced wheat in 2022, while producing wheat, onion and sweet pepper this year.
She added that starting with an acre, now in her third consecutive farming season, she is always progressing, adding that she believes that she would become a developed farmer in future.
She said she is now planning to establish an agricultural registered company, in order to take her farming to another level of development.
Nchart appealed to women and youths to rise up and embrace business in order to be financially independent and for wealth to circulate in the society.
