The Ministry of Budget and National Planning on Monday urged Nigerians to improve agricultural practice for food security and increase the sector’s contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Giving the charge at a stakeholders’ consultative forum organized by the ministry in collaboration with ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) and Oxfam in Lagos, the Director of Economic Growth in the ministry, Mr Sam Eloho, said that the meeting was convened to facilitate conversation among stakeholders in the agricultural sector.

He described the forum as marking another landmark in the ministry’s efforts to ensure food availability and security for all Nigerians and also examine the adequacy of National Agricultural Investment Plan 2 (NAIP 2) in meeting national objectives contained in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP),’’ he said.

Eloho said that the recommendations from the meeting would contribute in the 2019 budget proposals toward boosting agriculture in Nigeria, adding that the collaboration with AAN and Oxfam will support government’s priority programmes in the sector.

He said: “This platform will facilitate more inputs into the 2019 agriculture budget by creating ownership, linking and integrating programme that will help Nigeria achieve food security and the attainment of the ERGP.

 “Government’s objective in this regards is to ensure that we grow what we eat and to ensure that no Nigerian goes to bed hungry. It is also to ensure optimal nutritional status and increased value added agricultural export.

“The target is to make agriculture a commercial activity through science, technology and innovation”, Eloho added.