Food Security: FG to Support Farmers to Mitigate Agricultural Risks

 The federal government has taken steps to incorporate Agricultural Insurance into its National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro- Pocket (NAGS-AP) programme, a move aimed at mitigating agricultural risks and ensuring food security.

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi, stated this at a workshop on the implementation of the NAGS-AP programme in Abuja.

The NAGS-AP, a Federal Government’s intervention programme for farmers, commenced in the 2023 dry season farming with wheat cultivation.

Abudullahi said the workshop was organized to educate stakeholders on the features and benefits of agricultural insurance for Nigerian farmers.

“We are gathered here to discuss and agree on incorporating agricultural insurance into the NAGS-AP programme which commenced in the 2023 dry season farming with wheat cultivation. So far, we have been fortunate to have favourable production due to good weather, resulting in a bountiful harvest.

“It is our objective and responsibility to protect the investment and interventions being made by the government and our financing partner, the African Development Bank (AfDB), via NAGS-AP. This is to address the sustainability and security of our local food systems, especially given our growing population,” he said.

In a goodwill message, the Managing Director, Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC), Mrs Folashade Joseph underscored the importance of insurance on agricultural activities in the dry and wet farming seasons to farmers.

She expressed the readiness of NAIC to continue to partner with stakeholders in agricultural and other sectors of the economy, with sound insurance and other risk management expertise.