Nigerian musician Kunle Ayo strums his guitar while shooting the music video for ONE.org's Cocoa 'na Chocolate. The song is a collaboration of 19 of the top recording artists from across Africa in support of ONE.org's campaign Do Agric, It Pays. The campaign aims to push political leaders to boost investments in agriculture as it will help tackle youth unemployment and lift millions out of extreme poverty. APO

ONE.org launched one of the continent's biggest musical collaborations ever, 'Cocoa na Chocolate', in support of a new campaign to boost investments in agriculture: 'Do Agric, It Pays.' On March 31, 19 of the top recording artists from across Africa, including D'Banj and Femi Kuti from Nigeria, DR Congo's Fally Ipupa, Cote d'Ivoire's Tiken Jah Fakoly, Kenya's Juliani, and South Africa's Judith Sephuma, came together in Lagos, Nigeria, to help rebrand agriculture and tell African youth that their future lies literally beneath their feet - and in their hands. 

The participating artists are: A.Y. (Tanzania), Bufallo Souljah (Zimbabwe), Dama Do Bling (Mozambique), D'Banj (Nigeria), Diamond (Tanzania), Dontom (Nigeria), Fally Ipupa (DRC), Femi Kuti (Nigeria), Judith Sephuma (South Africa), Juliani (Kenya), Kunle Ayo (Nigeria), Vusi Nova (South Africa), Liz Ogumbo (Kenya), Nancy G (Swaziland), Omawumi (Nigeria), Rachid Taha (Algeria), Tiken Jah Fakoly (Cote d'Ivoire), Victoria Kimani (Kenya) and Wax Dey (Cameroon). 

These artists are using their voices to inspire young people to join ONE.org, and tell political leaders ahead of the African Union summit in June 2014 that the time has come to adopt better agricultural policies that can help tackle youth unemployment, provide better support to small holder farmers, boost productivity, increase value chains, and help lift millions of Africans out of extreme poverty. 

The song is available for download for free at http://www.one.org after signing the 'Do Agric' petition that tells African leaders to invest in the continent's farmers, food, and future. 

"These brilliant artists are role models who connect with African youths. Their voices, in support of African agriculture, are sending a powerful message to the young generation: it's time for African leaders to scale up public investments in agriculture and ensure policy interventions are targeted to benefit small holder farmers who provide 80 percent of the food we eat on the continent," said Dr. Sipho S. Moyo, ONE.org Africa Executive Director. 

The UN-FAO reports that agricultural growth is 11 times more effective at reducing poverty than growth in other sectors like mining and utilities. Do Agric is a continent-wide push to appeal to African governments to commit to spending at least 10 percent of national budgets on effective agriculture investments - a commitment they originally made in Maputo in 2003 - and to do so through transparent and accountable budgets, said Moyo. 

Nigerian music superstar D'banj is on board with the project. He said that to African musicians, agriculture is the single most important cause they have to champion together and he is proud to be associated with ONE voice. "Here in Nigeria alone, while 70 percent of Nigerians depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, the federal agriculture budget has been trending downward, and is now at just 1.47 percent. This is a serious concern, especially because Nigeria spends billions of Naira importing food every year," said D'banj. 

The artists are joining ONE.org to show the current generation of young people that not only can agriculture be cool, but it is also a great way to earn a living. But without strong political will and public support for agriculture, African youth will not be able to take advantage of the potential that agriculture presents. ONE.org is partnering with the popular voices of African artists in calling on political leaders, private sector investors and the youth to "do agric" - because "it pays". 

APO