The Federal Government, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and the World Bank have committed to forming a formidable partnership on innovative agricultural practices to address food insecurity in Nigeria and the broader sub-Saharan African region.
This commitment was a key outcome of a high-level meeting between Vice President Kashim Shettima and a delegation from the IITA, the World Bank, and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) at the Presidential Villa on Wednesday.
In his remarks at the meeting, the vice president emphasized the focus on increasing yield, stating that the IITA is in a vantage position to assist not just Nigeria but sub-Saharan Africa in repositioning the agricultural ecosystem through smart agriculture, climate-resilient agriculture, and improved seedlings.
A statement by the vice president’s spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, quoted him as saying: “The IITA is at a vantage position to assist not just Nigeria but sub-Saharan Africa in repositioning the agricultural ecosystem through smart agriculture, climate-resilient agriculture, and improved seedlings.”
Shettima noted the significant role of the IITA, established in 1967, in shaping Nigeria’s agricultural landscape.
“More than ever before, we need the IITA now. By 2050, we will be the third most populous nation on earth,” Shettima stated.
The president also highlighted the interconnectedness between the economy and ecology, exacerbated by desertification, climate change, and insecurity challenges in the Sahel region.
“In the food basket of the nation, there is an incestuous relationship between the economy and ecology because of desertification and climate change. The productivity of our agriculture is poor and is compounded by insecurity, which might not be unconnected with the challenges in the Sahel,” he explained.
Calling for close collaboration with the IITA, Shettima emphasized the importance of investing in agriculture as a business.
He specifically requested the institute’s assistance in providing high-quality seeds for maize and root crops, particularly cassava. The Vice President lauded the widespread adoption of IITA’s improved cassava seedlings in the Southwest region, urging the institute to extend similar initiatives to other sub-Saharan African nations.
Earlier, the Director-General of the IITA, Dr. Simeon Ehui, thanked the Vice President for his leadership and commitment to the development of agriculture in Nigeria and support to the Institute.
He said the delegation from the Institute was in Abuja for a strategic meeting to review IITA’s partnerships, collaborations, and stakeholder engagements, all to support the Federal Government’s efforts in addressing food security in Nigeria and across the West African sub-region.
On his part, the Deputy Director-General, Partnerships for Delivery, IITA, Dr. Dashiell Kenton, said the institute is supporting a few initiatives of the Federal Government aimed at creating employment opportunities for young Nigerians in the sector.
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According to him, the ‘Youth in Agribusiness’ initiative of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration is commendable and should be scaled up to empower more young Nigerians, assuring that the institute, through the initiative, will empower more smallholder farmers with knowledge of improved agricultural practices.
In the same vein, the World Bank Practice Manager for Agriculture and Food Global Practice, Mr. Abel Lufafa, said the IITA, World Bank, and other partners were delighted with the level of interest and quantum of support deployed by the Tinubu administration in revamping agricultural productivity in the country.
He said the president and vice president are demonstrating uncommon leadership in repositioning agricultural production in Nigeria, noting that the World Bank and other partners are impressed with the paradigm shift, especially the change to a government-led collaboration in the sector.
Similarly, a senior researcher at the International Food Policy Research Institute, Channing Arndt, said the organization’s partnership with the IITA cuts across diverse areas of agricultural value, noting, however, that the primary objective is to support ongoing efforts to improve agricultural practices and rapidly boost food production.
