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Nigerian govt pledges to create agricultural hubs nationwide
Nigerian govt pledges to create agricultural hubs nationwide
The Federal Government of Nigeria has pledged to create agricultural hubs across the country through the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme and Value Chain Development Programme. (VCDP)
This is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the Nigeria high-level event at the UN Food Systems Summit in Rome, Italy.
Speaking at the event, Vice President, Kashim Shettima, said that the Federal Government would continue to advance the mobilisation of innovative financing to address key challenges to food systems priorities.
Shettima said this was in line with the Nigeria Food Systems Transformation Pathways.
“Considering the huge food finance gap in Nigeria, regional and global level, Nigeria is calling for the mobilisation of key national and international stakeholders’ formal sectors to build win-win partnerships.
“This is to catalyze transformative and substantial funding for the achievement of sustainable, resilient, and inclusive food systems, “he said.
In his remark, the President of IFAD, Mr Alvaro Lario, said that to stimulate private investment, there was a need for governments and development agencies to lead the way with their own investments.
“We must also ensure these investments help smallholder farmers increase their incomes, improve their access to markets, increase their production, as well as build their resilience.”
Dr Muhammad Al Jasser, President of the Islamic Development Bank, and the President of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, reiterated their commitment to support Nigeria in achieving its development aspirations.
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They were represented by Mrs Hassatou N’Sele Vice-President AfDB.
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The banks promised to support the country in implementing its future national development plans.
Mr Reji George, Vice-President of OLAM, a private partner of IFAD-supported VCDP, said the partnership agreement between the organisations under the Commodity Alliance Forum (CAF), provided smallholder rice farmers with access to reliable and profitable markets.
According to George, it will also in turn stimulate productive investments at the farm level.
He explained that the partnership involved commitments from Olam, IFAD, the Nigerian government and the farmers (individually and collectively).
Mrs Ejim Lovelyn, Vice President, CAF, representing farmers at the summit said CAF was an outstanding case of Public/Private/Producers Partnership (4Ps) of the VCDP.
“Through VCDP, smallholder farmers are contributing to financing priority actions for food system transformation and they benefit from value chain financing provided by the private sector while also growing their sales and productivity.”
(NAN)
