Agric show: Stakeholders task FG on food security by 2025
By Felicia Imohimi
Agricultural stakeholders in Nigeria have stated that achieving food security by 2025 will only be possible if farmers’ security is guaranteed.
Speaking at the ongoing 16th National Agricultural Show (NAS) in Tudun Wada, Nasarawa, the stakeholders called on the government to address the various challenges hindering the sector’s progress.
The participants included the National Agricultural Foundation of Nigeria (NAFN), farmers’ associations, Agricultural Research Institutes, the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), and the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), among others.
The 2024 edition of the NAS, held at the National Agricultural Showground along the Abuja-Keffi Road, is themed ‘Incentivising Smallholder Farmers to Scale for the Attainment of Food Security’.
Key challenges highlighted included the high cost of inputs, lack of mechanisation, transportation costs, insecurity, policy implementation failures, and post-harvest losses.
Arch. Kabir Ibrahim, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of NAFN and President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), identified insecurity as the greatest threat to food security, followed by climate change.
He called on the government to create an enabling environment for Smallholder Farmers (SHFs) to increase productivity, emphasising the importance of regional staple food production, improved storage systems, and the reduction of post-harvest losses.
“It is exceedingly difficult to achieve food security without identifying regional staple foods and scaling their production, processing, and distribution,” he said.
He also urged the adoption of science, technology, and innovation to transform the food system, describing it as crucial for overcoming the challenges facing the sector.
Ibrahim commended President Bola Tinubu’s administration for declaring a state of emergency on food security, which he said had motivated SHFs to work towards food sufficiency.
He, however, stressed the need for further support, particularly in the absence of widespread mechanisation.
He also praised the government for signing a memorandum of understanding with Brazil to boost agribusiness, describing it as essential for improving SHFs’ productivity and attracting private sector investments.
“This initiative will generate agribusiness activities in all 774 local government areas, attracting $4.3 billion in private sector investment to agriculture. Such incentives are key to achieving food security,” Ibrahim added.
Gov. Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State called on the Federal Government to prioritise the National Agricultural Show by investing in infrastructure to enhance its annual exhibitions.
Represented by Abubakar Madaki, Chairman of Karu Local Government, Sule emphasised the need to showcase Nigeria’s vast agricultural resources effectively.
Sen. Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, stated that the government was implementing measures to address farmers’ challenges and improve the sector’s performance.
Mr Jafar Umar, Director General of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group (NABG), highlighted the organisation’s commitment to reducing poverty, creating jobs, and supporting the growth of the agricultural economy.
He noted that NABG’s investments span the entire value chain, from inputs and equipment to export markets and consumer food manufacturing. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Chijioke Okoronkwo
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