Agriculture
Agric Dev: Envoy Wants Nigeria To Emulate Brazil
The Consul-General of Bra
zil in Lagos, Amb. Maria Figueiredo has urged Nigeria to emulate Brazil in the development of her agriculture to help it completely get out of the recession.
Figueredo gave the advice in Lagos at a Breakfast Meeting to announce the forthcoming Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry’s “Economic Recovery Agri-Agro Summit” . The consul-general said that although Brazil was currently in a recession, she has continued to give priority to the development of her agriculture sector, to meet national and international needs.
“I have decided to support the organisation of this Summit because of how the agriculture sector has continued to be my country’s main area of focus.
“We believe that as an agricultural power today, we should support other countries, including Nigeria, to give priority to the development of their agriculture sector.
“I really want to support and share our agriculture development experiences with Nigerian farmers, because I know agriculture has been keeping our country, even in a recession,” she said.
The Chairman of MTN Nigeria, Dr Pascal Dozie, said that Nigeria’s long dependence on oil had truncated the nation’s past commitment to agriculture.
Dozie said that Nigerians should not continue to delude themselves by continuously depending on proceeds from oil, especially now that many countries were discovering oil in their communities.
“Let me say that we cannot continue to delude ourselves that our economy would continue to depend on oil.
“We must begin to glamorise agriculture, so that anybody who is working in the agriculture sector, would work with pride.
“We must, therefore, first begin to define agriculture in this country, because it currently does not have a positive status,” he said.
Dozie, who commended the Consul-General of Brazil for supporting the initiative to refocus Nigeria’s attention on agriculture, said that Nigeria would not succeed as an industrialised country without agriculture.
The President of NACCIMA, Iyalode Alaba Lawson, said that the breakfast meeting was jointly organised by the Consul-General of Brazil in Lagos and NACCIMA, ahead of the Agri-Agro Summit.
Lawson said that the meeting was to provide an opportunity to discuss the way forward to having a successful Agri-Agro Summit, scheduled to hold in Abuja from September 26 to September 28.
“The association is confident that the outcome of this meeting will lead to a successful Agri-Agro Summit.
“We are also confident that it would serve as a strategic turning point in the fortunes of the Nigerian people through Agriculture,” she added.
Brazil’s most significant agricultural products are coffee, soybeans, wheat, rice, corn, sugarcane, cocoa, citrus and beef.
They cover about 31 per cent of the nation’s total land area, with a crop value of 65 billion dollars.
Federal Government and the Ogun State Government, on Wednesday, distributed farm inputs to farmers as part of effort to address food security challenge.
The State Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Toyin Ayo-Ajayi, during the flag-off ceremony of Inputs Redemption Under The National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP), in Ogun State, disclosed that beneficiaries of the gesture were primarily rice, maize and cassava farmers across the State.
Ayo-Ajayi commended the Ogun State Government for partnering with the government at the centre for the effort in supporting farmers with inputs that would bring about yieldings for local consumption and likely exportation.
She noted that government is supporting rice, cassava and maize farmers with inputs worth N212,000; N189,000 and N186,000 respectively.
The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Agriculture, Mrs Kehinde Jokotoye, who represented the Commissioner in the Ministry, Bolu Owotomo, stated that traditional farmers are critical in food production, hence the need to encourage and support them with inputs that would bring about desired results during harvesting.
Owotomo said: “Let us make good use of this opportunity, so that the success of this phase will make farmers benefit more from the state and federal governments of Nigeria.”
Earlier, State Coordinator, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Oluwatoyin Ayo-Ajayi, appreciated the present administration for partnering with the federal government for the initiative, adding that the programme is designed to support farmers at the grassroots level in cassava, rice and maize with inputs such as, seeds, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, to boost their production and enhance their livelihood.
The Niger State Government has mapped out 10,000 hectares of farmland in Gbapo Community of Katcha Local Government Area of the State for smallholder farmers to benefit from the state government’s agricultural intervention programme.
Two thousand out of the 10,000 holders of the farmlands have already received inputs.
At a flag-off ceremony in Yinti Village, the facilitator of the programme, Shinkafan Nupe, Malam Idris Usman Makanta, assured the farmers of increased distributions to the mapped-out ten thousand (10,000) farmlands if farmers respond positively.
He explained that the commencement of the two thousand is to measure the positive response of farmers before obtaining full-scale support.
Malam Makanta stated that this initiative aligns with the farmers’ initial commitment through Niger Foods, whose mission is primarily geared towards establishing efficient and profitable agricultural businesses to support the present administration of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago’s quest to boost agricultural productivity in the state.
He also commended Niger Foods for their steadfastness and resilience in the effective implementation of the input financing scheme.
Makanta reiterated the commitment of the State Governor in making judicious use of the arable land in the state.
Shinkafan Nupe, therefore, urged the farmers to support the Governor by using the inputs wisely so that the dream can be actualised.
The Gombe State Government has empowered a total of 573,429 farmers and entrepreneurs under the 4th phase of the GO-CARES programme.
The programme was officially flagged off by Governor Inuwa Yahaya in another major step towards alleviating poverty and supporting the state’s vulnerable populations.
The Governor, while inaugurating the disbursement in Akko Community of Akko Local Government Area, restated his administration’s commitment to the welfare of vulnerable citizens in the state.
He was represented by the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Salihu Baba Alkali, who is also the Chairman of the Steering Committee on GO- CARES implementation.
“The 4th phase of GO-CARES will directly and indirectly impact a total of 573,429 citizens across the state. Of these, 152,429 individuals will benefit directly through cash transfers, livelihood grants, agricultural inputs, and operational grants to small businesses”, he stated.
The Governor added that, “421,000 people will be indirect beneficiaries through infrastructural projects such as classroom blocks, healthcare facilities, WASH services, and rural infrastructure projects like culverts and drainages”.
Yahaya, reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that the state’s most vulnerable citizens are not left behind in the state’s development.
According to him, “Earlier this year, on June 25, 2024, we flagged off the distribution of improved seedlings, fertilizers, and herbicides to less privileged farmers in Malam Sidi, Kwami Local Government Area, signaling the commencement of the 4th phase implementation of GO-CARES under Result Area 2”.
The Governor reiterated that these initiatives have had a significant impact on the livelihoods of beneficiaries and the overall agricultural sector.
He explained that, “Today’s ceremony marked the simultaneous launch of activities under all three GO-CARES Result Areas for the 4th phase. These areas include: State Cash Transfer Grants: 2,500 direct beneficiaries; Labour Intensive Public Works: 2,700 direct beneficiaries; Livelihood Grants: 10,000 direct beneficiaries; and Basic Services: 405,000 indirect beneficiaries”.
