Food Security: FG Vows to Support Farmers Nationwide

Gilbert Ekugbe

The federal government has stated that it would strengthen its partnership with farmers to boost food production and agro-allied businesses in Nigeria.

The Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Mr. George Akume stated this during a meeting with the National Apex of Nigeria Farmers’ Cooperative Societies (NANFACOS) in his office in Abuja.

The NANFACOS is a statutory body established to complement the efforts of the federal government in the agricultural value chain activities.

According to Akume, Nigeria may join the list of countries with serious implications for food security by 2050; but he is optimistic that the country has all it takes to feed the rest of West Africa and beyond.

He said: “Agriculture is the mainstay of many countries, particularly the developing world. There is something unique about agriculture; that is food security. One of the basic needs of man is food. It is the first need of man. If you don’t have food you cannot think well, you become sick and very unproductive. So food is the main need of man.

“Food also provided cash for us in those days in this country before the discovery of oil; agriculture was the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy. You remember the groundnut pyramids in Kano, you remember cocoa in the western region, you remember palm oil in the eastern region and we have beniseed, soya beans which earned the people a lot of money needed, maize, rice, ginger, so many, even fish abound in our waters.”

He reiterated the need for sustainable partnership that would boost agricultural productivity in the country, assuring the body of President Buhari’s support.

A Member of the Board of Trustees of NANFACOS, South East Zone and Chairman/Chief Executive of Innoson Motor Manufacturing Company, Mr. Innocent Ifediaso Chukwuma, in his remarks revealed that his tractor manufacturing plant, which is situated at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, would be commissioned this year.

Chukwuma said that the plant was built to boost agricultural mechanisation in the country, hence making farming attractive to university students.