Federal Government has said that it attracted
$5.6 billion (about N896 billion) private sector
investments into the agricultural sector from
2012 to current year.
Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina,
disclosed this while delivering a keynote address
at the opening of Agra Innovate Nigeria Exhibition
co-organised by Informa and Afrocet in Lagos.
Adesina said that agriculture can no longer be
viewed as a development activity in Nigeria but a
business, with a goal to enable a private sector
led agricultural renaissance where Nigerian
agribusiness competes on the global stage and
plays a lead role in building the future for global
food security.
“Nigeria has a lot of arable land of about 84
million hectares and not more than 10 percent of
that is cultivated, the two abundant weathers,
rainfall and sunshine seasons in the North, South,
East and West is an indication that we have
potential to be a global power house in food and
agriculture. We must aggressively work to unlock
this potential by diversifying the economy, reduce
demand for food import and create jobs.
“We decided to be investment focused in
agriculture with a clear government role which is
to create good roads, provide good incentives and
the investment we talk about is about private
sector that is depending on growth because
Agriculture is not a poverty reduction sector but
wealth creation sector where everything about
agriculture is business,” he said.
He however noted that for Informa, a global giant
in business activity to have decided to look into
the Nigerian agricultural sector is a clear
indication that Nigeria agriculture is now on
global stage, stating “we are transforming
agriculture in Nigeria, Agra innovate will be an
important platform for developing the agenda
further and driving domestic and international
collaboration and partnership.”
On his part, Project Director, Agra Innovate, Mr.
David Ross, said that the Agra Innovate Nigeria
was inspired by the fiercely determined
programme of agricultural reform and
modernization that is taking place in the country.
He described the reform as a transformation that
continues to gain pace and command
international attention and respect.
Other speakers at the occasion include: Anambra
State Governor, Willie Obiano, represent by his
Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Nnamdi Mekor,
Chairman, Nigeria Agribusiness Group, Alhaji
Sanni Dangote, CEO Best Foods/Coordinator,
Nigeria Agribusiness Group, Mr. Emmanuel
Ijewere, among others.
In his remarks, Ijewere said that the
transformation agenda in the country’s
agricultural sector has a great potential to bring
about not only food security and economic
development, but also to create a model of
socially-inclusive economic growth.
Vanguard.
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