From Abdulfatah Babatunde
Two Federal Government establishments are discussing a plan on how to improve agro allied-industries development for food security.
These are the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).
They will deploy technical competencies and other resources to target climate change mitigations and solar irrigation aimed at dry-season farming.
Th collaboration is the fallout of a meeting between Agriculture Minister, Sen. Abubakar Kyari;, Minister of State on Agriculture, Hon. Sabi Abdullahi and Vice-Chairman of NASENI, Mr Khalil Halilu in Abuja.
They agreed that the nascent collaboration would enhance the focus and deliverables toward achieving the “Renewed Hope Agenda” of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Sen. Kyari said about six of the eight socio-economic recovery programmes in the 8-Point Renewed Hope Agenda of the government are rooted in the success of the agricultural sector.
The minister, therefore, commended NASENI for having agriculture as one of the its target areas to work.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has given my ministry responsibility to implement one of the programmes in the 8-point agenda. This encompasses food security and five others,” he said.
During the meeting, Halilu said NASENI was ready to collaborate to boost agriculture.
“This is necessary to achieve food security through technology adaptation and transfers,” NASENI boss said.
He explained that NASENI’s technical manpower, technologies and its international partners “are ready to ensure that Nigeria becomes self-sufficient in food production, processing and exports”.
Read Related News:
Agric stakeholders seek investment in irrigation farming in Bauchi
NGSG earmarks N3.5b to boost green economy
FG distributes farm inputs to farmers in Imo
Part of the efforts towards actualising this goal, he said, is the on-going NASENI Scheme to refurbish 50,000 broken tractors across the country.
“This refurbishment under the presidential initiative, aims to bring back the culture of large cultivation of lands for farming.
According to him, NASENI management has secured both local and international technical partners to mass-produce Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for spraying of insecticides over vast farm locations.
It is working to sustain afforestation, introduce solar-powered water irrigation to increase wet and dry season farming yields.
Cold chain food processing and agro-allied value chain additions for preservation and processing of foods in commercial quantities and exports.
In his remark, the Minister of State, Abdullahi described the move by NASENI as progressive and patriotic.
He said the time was ripe to put an end to inter-ministerial competition and rivalry. Rather, synergy and collaboration amongst government institutions should become the new culture and orientation.
Abdullahi underscored the earlier statement by his Minister, Sen. Kyari that one of the government’s current priorities is food security.
He, therefore, he called for alignments with the ministry’s focus, not only by NASENI, but other agencies with related functions.
This is in order to actualise the government’s intentions of alleviating poverty, create jobs and tackle all other socio-economic ills.
Do you have a flair for Citizenship Journalism? Share story(ies) of happenings in your area with The NewsZenith on WhatsApp: 08033668669 or thenewszenith@gmail.com
