Renowned diplomat, Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, says the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) must recommit to strengthening regional agriculture value chains.
Chambas made the call at the 66th Ordinary Session of ECOWAS summit of Heads of State and Government held in Abuja on Sunday.
He said strengthening agriculture value chains would help create the much-needed economic opportunity for farmers and economic operators.
Chambas, who is the Chairman of the Taskforce on the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme (ETLS), said this would also reduce regional food security challenges.
He expressed optimism that the region would be able achieve a more resilient and sustainable agriculture sector.
Chambas further said the delays in addressing the challenges hindering the free movement of persons and goods were not unique to any particular region of Africa.
He described ECOWAS as a regional leader in terms of freedom of movement of its people.
Chambas said dysfunctions resulting from misapplication of ETLS protocols were partly due to weak institutional capacity of National Committees for the Recognition of Community Origin.
He identified the lack of knowledge of the protocols by economic actors as another challenge.
” Trade and development move along with people who trade, and West Africa is not an exception for what unites us is not just economic ties, but also social and cultural ones.
” As such, we need to continue to focus on improving the economic conditions of our people and to promote our regional integration in order to help increase our intra-Africa exchanges in all relevant areas.
” West Africa is a region where, for centuries, our people have moved about freely, engaging in commerce and building traditional bonds and historic relationships.
” This is a moment to work to build a borderless Africa, not the moment to step backward,” he said.
Chambas also said free movement of people, goods and services across the continent must be made a priority in order to boost development and shared prosperity.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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)
The Federal Government and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)-Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) programme have pledged to make all states across the country agro-industrial hubs by 2026.
Dr Dede Ekoue, Country Director, IFAD, made the pledge at the 1st joint Federal Government/IFAD Supervision Mission Wrap-Up of SAPZ on Friday in Abuja.
Ekoue said the gesture would be achieved through the implementation of the project in all states of the federation.
She said that the accelerated pilot intervention in Kano had proven to be highly effective model, laying strong foundation for the project’s future success and ensuring tangible benefits were reaching the targeted rural smallholder farmers.
The country director said the project had so far reached 1000 beneficiaries in Kano out of the 7,398 profiled farmers between September 2024 and September 2025 in the state.
She described the progress achieved so far at the early phase as a strong indicator of its potential to achieve its goal in upcoming years.
“We have already reached over 1000 beneficiaries under the pilot project, which demonstrates our commitment to the targeting strategy and our goal of inclusivity.
“The project is on the right path to meeting the SAPZ’s gender and youth representative targets, with 44.5 per cent of the beneficiaries being female and 28.8 per cent youth.
“As we progresses, we are on track to meet the 50 per cent female and 40 per cent youth representation targets in the targeted areas of Kano and Ogun States.’’
Ekoue identified the target of reaching 24,000 beneficiaries across Ogun and Kano by 2025 as ambitious and achievable.
She called for concerted efforts of all stakeholders to accelerate the pace of implementation and prioritise scaling up successful intervention.
“We must continue to strengthen our partnerships; leverage new technologies and adapt quickly to the changing agricultural landscape,” she said.
Ekoue identified other achievements of the project as capacity building for farmer-based organisations, establishment of demonstration plots, partnerships with local institutions, strong collaboration with state and local government and private sector engagement.
She said the project has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Commodity Alliance Federation.
According to her, the gesture is as an important step towards enhancing the livelihoods of farmers by opening new pathways to market opportunities.
Dr Kabir Yusuf, National Programme Coordinator, SAPZ, said the project’s overall development objective was to support the development of SAPZ in high food production areas to supply the domestic food market and create exportable surpluses.
According to him, it is also to capacitate smallholder farmers, small agro-processors and traders and community-based service providers including women and youth.
Yusuf said the programme was being piloted in Kano and subsequently, Ogun.
He said it would be implemented across the 36 states of the federation through the bye-in of the government.
“If the SAPZ project is implemented across all the state it will directly or indirectly create at least 500,000 jobs in each states outside the jobs that will spring up along the value chain.
“l am optimistic that as we have reach our pilot target group, we will rich our target in 2025 and the issue of food security will be history
“We will at that point develop infrastructure for our processing industry and by the end of 2026 we will have full fledge SAPZ and agro-Industrial development across the country,’’ he said.
Mr Musa Bukar, Director, Project Coordinating Unit, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMFS), said the supervision mission was to access the level of implementation of the project in Kano and identify key bottleneck.
“The mission is also to make recommendation on way forward to accelerate progress.
“SAPZ has successfully foster collaboration with key stakeholders including the Kano State ministry of agriculture, agro-pastoral development programme, among others.
“These efforts help assure that the project aligned with local needs and provides a strong foundation for the project’s successes and quality improvement,’’ he said.
Tabi Karikari, Chief Agro-Industrial Officer, African Development Bank (AfDB), who identified SAPZ as a game changer, said it was accelerated for its capacity to change any rural communities from zones of misery to becoming zones of prosperity. (NAN)( www.nannews.ng)
Ms Rakiya Sadiq’s story is an inspiration for youths especially women in agriculture.
Sadiq, a beneficiary of the Golden Morn Agripreneurship Programme of Nestle Nigeria PLC, through her farm, is contributing to ensuring food security and reducing hunger in the country.
A graduate of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Sadiq is the Chief Executive Officer of Zulru Integrated Farms, an integrated farm company into the cultivation of cereal crops and livestock, located in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
Her business was incorporated in January 2021 in Jos, Plateau State, before extending to Bauchi.
Necessitated by the need to be self-employed and contribute to increasing food produce, Sadiq said she went into agriculture, focusing on cereal crops like maize, rice, and soya beans, as well as livestock.
According to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), increasing food demand is a major concern in Nigeria as prices increases worsen poverty.
Worrisome is also the fact that the Food and Agriculture Organisation estimated that approximately 22 million Nigerians would face food insecurity in 2023, with about 80 to 82 million being at risk of severe insecurity by 2030.
The indices get scarier as in 2024, Nigeria is expected to see about 26.5 million people dealing with high levels of food insecurity.
Many factors including continued conflict, climate change, and inflation and rising food prices are key drivers of this alarming trend.
However, the corporate programme – Golden Morn Agripreneurship Webinar Series, a collaborative initiative between the Golden Morn brand and the Enterprise Development Centre of the Pan Atlantic University, aims to promote sustainable food systems by increasing youth engagement in the agricultural sector.
The programme, sponsored by Nestle Nigeria Plc, also provides seed grants support for young entrepreneurs within the age range of 18 to 35, who are already engaged or set up a business in the agricultural sector.
In 2023, 25 young agripreneurs emerged as winners of the Agripreneurship programme, and seed funds of N500,000 were presented to them to scale their businesses.
Some beneficiaries of 2023 Golden Morn Agripreneurship Programme of Nestle Nigeria PLC
The presentation of grants to the successful Agripreneurs, Mr Wassim Elhusseini, the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Nestlé Nigeria Plc, emphasised the pivotal role of youth involvement in agriculture for building sustainable food systems.
“To establish sustainable food systems, we must ensure youth participation in agriculture.
“Nestlé is, therefore, dedicated to helping young people develop the capabilities and skills they need to drive innovation in agriculture.
“Today, as we celebrate and empower the 25 agribusinesses who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and passion for shaping the future, we are delighted with the positive impact of the continuous investment by Golden Morn.”
The Category and Marketing Manager of Golden Morn, Ifeanyichukwu Orabuche, during the presentation of the grants to 25 agricultural entrepreneurs, said that developing farmers was essential for better agricultural practice.
According to Orabuche, the agriculture sector is one of the most viable sectors of the Nigerian society.
However, she decried that the average age of the Nigerian farmer was between ages 60 and 65 years, and that it posed a challenge to the agricultural value chain.
Consequently, she urged the beneficiaries to be more productive and sustainable in their business.
“As agripreneurs, you are employers of labour and that is why Nestle has decided to invest in your business. As a business, we all exist in an ecosystem.
“I am a firm believer in Nigeria’s commonwealth and I believe that the only way Nigerians would move forward is through the country’s collective commonwealth whether in agriculture, healthcare, or education.
“Everyone regardless of your income would share that common wealth. For us to coexist, we need to make sure the cycle continues.”
Evaluating the impact of the programme, the Project and Finance Manager of the Enterprise Development Centre, Pan Atlantic University, Obianuju Okafor, in a statement, said the average age of the Nigerian farmer was between ages 60 and 65 years.
Okafor added that this posed a challenge to the agricultural value chain.
According to her, the Enterprise Development Center is thrilled to partner with Golden Morn to provide essential skills and knowledge to young agripreneurs.
“The Webinar Series has been impacting individuals and businesses since 2021 with a focus on best practices in agribusiness.
“This collaboration underscores a shared commitment to empower and enhance the offerings of aspiring agripreneurs, contributing to the growth and sustainability of the agricultural sector.”
On some of the challenges encountered in agriculture and businesses generally, Sadiq highlighted lack of technological expertise and in depth/updated farming principles, climate change, insecurity and funding.
According to her, through the Golden Morn Agripreneurship Webinar Series and being a grant recipients, she has been encouraged and motivated to increase produce, sales and even target being a top supplier of cereal crops within and outside the country.
Commending the brand for the grant for her business, she said, “I was about to stop this business due to some limiting factors but the training and subsequent support from Nestlé’s Golden Morn has encouraged me to continue the business of maize, soyabeans and rice farming.
Sadiq advised youths and women to embrace agriculture, saying it creates employment, self-sufficiency, reduces poverty and hunger.
Another grant recipients, Chukwudi Imhokha, the Chief Executive Officer Azimhoc Ventures, Delta State said, “The journey with Nestlé’s Golden Morn has been a great learning opportunity.
The trainings on adopting business models and circularity for Business Sustainability and Profitability were particularly value adding and very practical for me.
“We are so grateful to Golden Morn and by extension Nestlé, for the huge investment in young people through this laudable initiative,’’ he said.
Food security remains a significant challenge in Nigeria, with millions of people facing hunger and malnutrition.
Addressing this issue requires broad approaches that tackle some of the root causes, such as lack of access to funding, technology know-how-limitations, insecurity and climate change, among others.
However, by investing in farmer’s especially young ones, infrastructure, training, making grants and funds available, promoting innovative solutions and generally prioritising sustainable agriculture, significant and impactful progress can be made toward ensuring food security and improving the well-being of citizens.
As such, concerted efforts and collaboration among government, organisations, corporate bodies, civil societies, and international partners, are needed.
It is in line with this, with the aim of supporting stakeholders’ action to provide support for young entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector and to ensure sustainable food systems, the Golden Morn Agripreneur Webinar Series programme exists, and keeps achieving significant stride in enabling young agripreneurs expand their businesses.
In addition, the project keeps making agriculture more attractive and appealing to youths, thereby increasing their involvement level in the sector.
Since its launch in 2021, the Golden Morn Agripreneurship Programme has provided training, financial assistance, mentorship, and networking opportunities to over 2,000 young people involved in, or aspiring to venture into agriculture.(NAN)
Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma
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He, however, stressed the need for further support, particularly in the absence of widespread mechanisation.
