CocoaNaChocolate
#CocoaNaChocolate: 1.2 million Africans Sign Petition in Support of ‘Cocoa Na Chocolate’ Campaign
Tuesday, June 03, 2014Omoba
Five months after the
launch ‘Do Agric, it Pays!’ petition encouraging African leaders to make good
on their promises to improve their investments in agriculture, One.org has
enlisted more than 1.2 million signatures to the online petition. A
majority of these come from Nigeria.
In April, ONE.org
ambassador, Dbanj released the video ‘Cocoa Na Chocolate’ featuring 19 top
African musicians in support of this campaign. The song, which also features
Omawumi, Femi Kuti, Kunle Ayo and Dontom calls on Africans and leaders to use
agriculture to create jobs and grow the economy.
The hit collaboration
as been well received by the public and judging by the number of signatures to
the campaign, young Africans really support the message.
In 2003, Nigeria
promised to invest 10% of its budget in agriculture, but the budget currently
sits at only 1.4%. Meanwhile, UN research shows that agric is 11 times more
effective in combating poverty than other sectors such as mining and utilities.
That is because 70% of Africans depend on it for their livelihoods.
Well, on June 23 – 27,
African leaders will reconvene in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea for the African
Union Summit. We wait to see if our leaders will heed the call of the people
and decide to invest more in agric. Above all, we are yet to see if the
Nigerian government will make good on its promises, heed the call of our
artistes and petition-signers, and increase its agric budget.
Citizens can learn
more and sign a petition in support of agriculture investment at www.one.org
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