The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the country’s agriculture sector.
President Bola Tinubu made this statement at the 6th Africa Wide Agricultural Extension Week held on Monday in Abuja.
The President was represented by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi.
Tinubu emphasized that the Federal Government recognizes the immense potential of agriculture as a crucial driver of the nation’s economy.
He pointed out that the present administration is dedicated to an 8-point agenda, which includes objectives such as food security, poverty eradication, economic growth, job creation, and access to capital.
“Agriculture must be market-oriented and move away from the subsistence farming practiced by our smallholder farmers,” Tinubu said.
To achieve this, the government has launched programs like the National Agriculture Growth Scheme-Agro-pocket, which provides support to millions of farmers through training on Good Agricultural Practices.
The President highlighted that certified inputs, including improved seeds, organic and inorganic fertilizers, and irrigation equipment, will be made available at highly subsidized prices to enhance production.
Tinubu stressed the pivotal role of agricultural extension services in delivering relevant and improved technologies developed by National Agricultural Research Institutions.
He announced that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security had developed the first-ever Harmonized Extension Manual in Nigeria and a National Agricultural Extension Policy to strengthen extension services in the country.
“The manual will be of great benefit to extension administrators, Subject Matter Specialists, Extension agents, and farmers along the agricultural value chains,” he added.
The policy aims to provide efficient, demand-driven, ICT-enabled, and market-oriented extension services for all stakeholders, including youth, women, and people with special needs, to promote sustainable agriculture and socio-economic development.
Tinubu expressed the government’s commitment to achieving food security and reducing dependency on food imports.
He said, “Nigeria’s current plan is to achieve self-sufficiency in food production.”
The President encouraged the conference attendees to propose actionable solutions to address Nigeria’s agricultural challenges, saying, “I hope this conference will come up with actionable solutions to agricultural challenges in Nigeria.”
NAN
