FG launches 5-year national strategy on potatoes

At the launch, Dr Ernest Umakhihe, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, said that the strategy would run from 2023 to 2028.

Mr Abdullahi Abubakar, the Director in the Department of Agriculture of the ministry, represented the PS.

Umakhihe said the move was timely and in line with President  Bola Tinubu’s recent directive on the intensification of crop production.

He further remarked that the move would usher in an era of productive competitiveness in the Nigerian potato industry.

The PS explained that the essence of the strategy was to ensure sustainable food and nutrition security in the country.

Umakhihe said the strategy would catalyse a rapid transformation of Nigerian potato sector into commercially viable agricultural value chains into a major export product.

“Our goal is to stimulate economic growth through various agricultural value chain activities.

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“This is towards creating employment opportunities and improved livelihoods for our youths and women.

“The food and nutrition security is a priority for the ministry and we are committed to achieving it.

“We are embarking on massive production, processing, value addition and product development to be the bedrock for driving our industries.

“I have no doubt the Nigerian Potato industry has the potential to become globally competitive.

“This is because of the country’s strong comparative advantage in production,” he said.

TheNewsZenith reports that GIZ, a German organisation is supporting the initiative.

The support is comiong through GIZ’s global programmes, Green Innovation Centres for the Agriculture and Food Sector-Nigeria (GIAE), and the International Potato Centre (CIP) Nairobi, Kenya.