Federal Government has assured Nigerians of attainment of food sufficiency in the shortest possible time through the adoption and execution of agricultural investment, financing and implementation plan (2016 – 2020)
The Honourable Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri made this statement at the 2017 World Food Day Symposium/Colloquium held at the Nigeria Air Force Officers’ Mess and Suites, Kado District, Abuja.
He stated that the plan is built around 16 policy levers and designed in broad terms to unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s agricultural sector and specifically to achieve food sufficiency, enterprise promotion, productive employment and wealth creation, adding that it will also address the challenges of growing population and declining revenues by promoting agribusiness, aiding economic livelihood and attaining food and nutrition security in the country.
Lokpobiri maintained that with the collective effort and firm commitment from all stakeholders within the fold of national and multi-lateral bodies, as well as the achievements made so far in the Agricultural sector, ‘’We are on track in changing the future of migration through accelerated food production and rapid development in our dear country” the Minister quoted.
Earlier, one of the discussants, the Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Alh. Mustapha Maihaja said that migration occurs whenever there is disaster in a particular environment and the upsurge in the affected community causes shortage of food which poses food insecurity if not carefully checkmated.
Another discussant, Chijioke Ihuoma Peace, 2016 Female Food Hero, Oxfam Nigeria, revealed that Human migration, not minding the cause affect the small-holder farmers mainly in rural areas because of poor and inadequate financing in their farm business.
She urged governments at all levels to invest in smallholder farmers in order to stabilize their agribusinesses and consequently reduce migration to the urban centres.
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