FG, AFEX Partner to Boost Food Production in Nigeria

Gilbert Ekugbe

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) has partnered AFEX to boost food production in the country.

The move according to AFEX in a statement is to increase farmers’ capacity for higher productivity in its quest to address food shortage challenges.
The partnership was cemented over the weekend at the momentous flag off event to kickstart the 2023/2024 dry season farming in Jigawa State.

The 2023/2024 dry season farming backed by the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-pocket NAGs-AP, is an essential step for the food security of the nation and enhancing agricultural productivity during this period and plays a significant role in bridging the gap between food demand and supply.

It is vital for Nigeria’s quest to achieve food security and sustainability as it adds significantly to the nation’s ability to meet the needs of the Nigerian populace.
Currently, Nigeria’s patterns and unpredictable rainfall makes dry season farming and production difficult, with challenges across inadequate inputs, lack of access to irrigated land, high cost of equipment and insufficient financing.

The NAGs-AP, funded by the African Development Bank, was created to address these challenges, and increase the production of five key commodities such as rice, maize, sorghum, wheat and soybean through the provision of relevant farm inputs to small-scale farmers during both the wet and dry seasons. Among the immediate interventions is the implementation of the dry season wheat production starting in November, and this scheme is expected to produce 875,000 metric tonnes of wheat.

As the official ICT provider for the National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) program, AFEX is leveraging its technology infrastructure to develop and manage the process from onboarding farmers to redemption of inputs.

During the event, AFEX demonstrated its innovative input collection and redemption technology, highlighting how it streamlines the process for farmers to access essential agricultural inputs.

Speaking at the flag off event, the National Project Coordinator, NAGs-AP, Ishaku Buba, explained that the launch of the dry season production stands as a testament to the federal government’s unwavering commitment to securing the nation’s food supply.

“We are deeply grateful for the collaboration and support of stakeholders across the industry, and AFEX’s demonstration highlights the pivotal role of technological innovation in enhancing agricultural productivity, ” Buba said.

“This event symbolizes not just the commencement of the dry season but also embodies the spirit of collaboration within the agriculture industry. Together, stakeholders are working tirelessly to achieve sustained food security for the nation,” he added.

On his part, the Managing Director, AFEX Fair Trade Limited, Kamaldeen Raji, stated that for AFEX, increasing productivity lies at the center of solving Nigeria’s food shortage challenges, reaffirming its resolve to support the administration’s commitment to bolstering farmers’ productivity through this initiative.
“In layering technology over this process, we are creating a sustainable model that delivers value for stakeholders in the value chain.”

He said AFEX’s commitment to leveraging technology aligns with the broader goal of enhancing productivity for farmers and strengthening the agricultural sector in Nigeria. He stressed that by facilitating efficient input access, AFEX empowers farmers to increase their yields and improve their livelihoods.

In his words, “The dry season production flag-off event marks a pivotal step in public-private partnership to achieving food security and enhancing the value of the agriculture sector in Nigeria, and AFEX’s involvement in the initiative underscores its dedication to transforming the agricultural landscape through innovation and technology.”

AFEX is a platform business that enables efficient trade for commodities in Africa. Solutions start at the producer level, ensuring improvement in productivity and livelihoods while building up commodity volumes in the right quality and quantity for local and regional trade. Operating through 3 business units, AFEX addresses the challenges faced by smallholder farmers, providing better access to inputs, credit facilities, micro-insurance, storage services, training, and markets. Partnership with different key players across the agricultural value chain, including processors, logistics service providers, financial institutions, and regulatory authorities, makes our goal of supporting Africa’s food security possible.

A range of clients and members also trade physical commodities and commodity contracts through AFEX’s technology platforms as AFEX continuously bridges the gap between the capital market and the commodities market, unlocking finance for production, trade, processing and export of commodities.