The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, has stressed the importance of innovation in agriculture, as it is one way of attracting youths to the sector.

The IITA acknowledged that agriculture was a wealth creator, but added that the wealth would not be created by treating agriculture the way it was treated in the past.

A statement by the institute quoted the Deputy Director-General, Partnership for Delivery, Dr. Kenton Dashiell, as making these remarks in a message to journalists to mark the institute’s 2017 Media Day.

At the event, which was part of activities designed to celebrate the institute’s 50th anniversary, Dashiell was quoted as saying that developing creative message methods that would attract young people to agriculture could help Africa to attract youths to the sector and end the rising unemployment in the continent.

According to him, addressing the food insecurity question in Africa requires collective efforts from the different institutions operating in the continent, stressing that “IITA cannot succeed in isolation.”