President Bola Tinubu has assured that his administration will assist millions of farmers through programs such as the National Agriculture Growth Scheme-Agro-Pocket.
This program aims to support farmers through training on Good Agricultural Practices and provide certified inputs, including improved seeds, organic and inorganic fertilizers, and irrigation equipment at highly subsidized prices to enhance food production and boost farmers’ income.
President Tinubu made this statement on Monday in Abuja at the opening ceremony of the 6th Africa-Wide Agricultural Extension Week.
Represented by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, the President emphasized that the goal is to make agriculture market-oriented and move away from subsistence farming practices among smallholder farmers.
He stated that the government aims to restructure the economy by reducing unnecessary borrowing to finance government programs and to create jobs, achieve economic growth, ensure “prosperity for all,” and alleviate poverty.
The President highlighted the critical role of agricultural extension in bringing relevant and improved technologies developed by National Agricultural Research Institutions (NARIs), input suppliers, and marketers to farmers.
He further mentioned that the ministry has developed the first-ever Harmonized Extension Manual in Nigeria and a National Agricultural Extension Policy.
The manual focuses on effectively disseminating and deploying agricultural innovations and technologies to end-users using appropriate extension methods.
President Tinubu also added that the manual will be of great benefit to extension administrators, subject matter specialists, extension agents, and farmers along the agricultural value chains.
“Our resolve is to develop the agricultural sector towards the attainment of the objectives of SDGs, especially those related to zero hunger and improving agriculture and rural productivity.
Nigeria’s current plan is to achieve self-sufficiency in food production and reduce dependency on food imports,” President Tinubu stated.
He also mentioned that the National Agricultural Extension Policy seeks to provide a pragmatic, effective, and efficient demand-driven, pluralistic, ICT-enabled, and market-oriented extension service to all stakeholders, including youths, women, and people with special needs, to optimally use resources to promote sustainable agriculture and socio-economic development in the country.
The President underscored the significance of agriculture as a key sector in driving the nation’s economy and as a tool to combat unemployment, hunger, and poverty.
He explained that the present administration is pursuing an 8-point agenda, which includes food security, poverty eradication, growth, job creation, and access to capital, among other objectives.
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