…As FG Moves To Partner The Gambia, Others In Agric Sector
The Federal Government has recapitalised the Bank of Agriculture (BoA) with N1.5 trillion and invested over N200 billion in agricultural interventions to boost food security in the country.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, made this disclosure weekend at a forum, which featured bilateral talks, technical briefings, and an inspection of Nigeria’s national mechanization fleet at the National Agricultural Seed Council held in Sheda, Abuja.
Kyari restated the government’s determination to lead the transformation of food security drive across the West African subregion, describing President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a ‘State of Emergency on Food Security’ in July 2023 as a major turning point for Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
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According to him, over the past two years, the administration has committed over N200 billion to agricultural interventions, distributed 2.15 million bags of fertilizer, and recapitalized the Bank of Agriculture with N1.5 trillion to empower our farmers.
The minister also spoke about Nigeria’s readiness to strengthen its collaboration with The Gambia and other ECOWAS countries through joint technical missions and new Memoranda of Understanding (MoU).
While noting that Nigeria’s agricultural roadmap is built on sustainable mechanization, youth inclusion, food sovereignty, and evidence-based policymaking, Kyari explained the current initiative of the ministry on the opening of a national farmer registry in partnership with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), aimed at identifying over 42 million farming households across the country
Speaking at the event, The Gambia’s Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security, Dr. Demba Sabally, commended Nigeria’s initiatives in agriculture and advocated the need for stronger bilateral collaboration between the two countries, especially in rice production and mechanization.
The minister said: “We have seen the Nigerian model in action—from outgrower schemes to post-harvest management. Our goal of achieving rice self-sufficiency by 2030 is now more realistic than ever. We request a Rice Ambassador from Nigeria to support our implementation.”
