Experts in the agricultural sector on Tuesday gave diverging views of growing the industry in Nigeria and internationally.
Speaking at the 6th edition of the Nigerian International Agriculture Expo, held in Abuja, Executive Director of Agriquest Africa Network, Amb. Abiodun Olaniyi said efforts to transform Nigeria’s agricultural landscape and recognising the huge role it plays in agric-economic growth, paves the way for food security and poverty reduction, ensuring that the agricultural potentials are harnessed.
“We are committed to exploring these potentials to the benefits of Nigerians”, Olaniyi stated.
The expo which brought together local and international experts, innovators and stakeholders to showcase the latest technology products, services in agriculture, provided the platform for knowledge sharing, networking and collaboration, essential for driving progress in the sector.
The President of the Coalition of Northern States Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agric, represented by Dr. Mrs. Bisi Adeniyi said with focus on innovation, sustainability and collaboration, the Expo is built to exchange ideas and showcase cutting edge technology and explore opportunities for growth and development.
She said the Nigerian economy, as it relates to agriculture is of utmost importance that brings a quickening effect on the living standards of Nigerians and achieving food security.
Nigeria with a population of 180-200 million has an estimated 70 percent of its people engaged in farming activities of different kinds, based on the 2022 report of the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
This figure places agriculture in a very strategic position that can largely influence the generality of the Nigerian economy in the areas of food production, employment opportunities, as well as serving as source of basic raw materials for manufacturing industries.
Dr. Mrs Bisi said despite the immense benefits, the agricultural sector still faces mirage of challenges and hurdles that have brought the country to its present time, such as poor infrastructure , inadequate and outdated technology and skills which in turn avails quality, quantity and efficiency.
She also commended the efforts put in place by the President Bola Tinubu led administration towards agriculture and food security and added that renaming the former ministry as Ministry of Agric and Food Security speaks volumes of the administration’s desire to make Nigeria to be food secured within a short time.
She pointed out that appointing young persons to drive the quest for the attainment of food security is a step in the right direction. She praised the collaboration amongst the Ministries of Water Resources, Defence, Environment, Aviation, Transportation, Power, Finance, Trade and Investment, as well as the Central Bank of Nigeria, with the Ministry of Agric and Food Security to fast track the realisation of food security.
Onyaole Patience, the Executive Director, Niger Foods spoke on government policies which she described as catalysts for agricultural growth. She said putting the right policies in place by the government produces results, thereby, providing the enabling environment for Nigerians to thrive.
“The benefits of government policies bringing in driving the agricultural sector cannot be underestimated, she enumerated.
She praised the efforts of the Niger State government in initiating agricultural practices that will improve the well-being of residents.
“Agriculture development is hinged on government policies that enable the environment to thrive and that has been an era when we had a lot of challenges in Nigeria because, the relevant polices that will support the investment in agriculture, help us to grow and bring the sector to be at par with rest of the world is not there.
“The government of Niger State has created an enabling environment and put polices in place that will allow the sector to thrive. The governor has gone out of his way to ensure that the enabling environment is in place to aid us get the land that we need.
“He has polices that make every local government bring into the pool ten thousand hectares of land. This can easily produce 250,000 hectares across the state to encourage investors.
“He’s building mind blowing infrastructure like roads. So far, he has brought in over four hundred tractors and we are still building on that daily. We’ve been able to provide solar panels to small scale farmers.
“There’s an SAPZ (Special Agro Processing Zone) at the Minna airport, positioned to export. We are also building the Minna Airport City to produce thousands of green houses to produce exports which will be shipped straight from the airport. So, it’s important for government policies to support agriculture. Once that is done, everything thrives.
“Also, inputs are very important. We make sure that we work with the farmers association, SUBEB (State Universal Basic Education Board). The farmers get inputs from us at subsidised rates. We have a model where we bring out all the inputs, you come into the program and we are able to work with you and at the end of the day, we harvest. We do a buy back and you get your profit in inputs or cash and we take ours. These subsidies are to ensure that farmers can thrive” Onyaole concluded.