The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security says it is collaborating with the Agriculture Donor Working Group (ADWG), a consortium of development partners, to promote food security in the country.

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Temitope Fashedemi, made this announcement at a one-day stakeholders’ meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.

The theme of the forum was ‘Strengthening Ministerial Capacity on the Use of Innovation to Catalyse Commodity Value Chain Development.’

Fashedemi was represented by Mr Ibrahim Taminu, Director of Planning and Policy Coordination at the ministry.

‘The goal is to engage you to facilitate the necessary technical and financial support that can assist the Department of Reform Coordination, Service Improvement, and Innovation in achieving improved agricultural productivity.

‘It is also to accelerate the attainment of ministerial agriculture targets from 2024-2027 to address the food security challenges in the country,’ he said.

Dr Mustapha Popoola, Special Assistant
to the Minister, outlined the key focus areas driving innovative solutions in Nigeria’s agri-food sector during his presentation.

‘The focus areas include the development and delivery of innovative solutions to address post-harvest losses, aiming to reduce these losses in the priority commodity value chains.

‘Capacity strengthening of departments and agencies is essential to enhance support for a culture of innovative thinking across the technical work stream of the FMAFS, especially in the commodity value chain.’

Popoola also highlighted other initiatives such as innovation competitions, entrepreneurship development in agro-allied activities aimed at training and certifying retiring civil servants to thrive in the agri-food space.

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‘We are developing and deploying value chain innovation platforms at research institutes and colleges under the ministry’s supervision,” he said.

He listed some of the priority commodity value chains
as rice, onions, pepper, mangoes, beans, ginger, plantain, oranges, vegetables and aquaculture.

Popoola said that the summit was specifically aimed at women, youths, and retiring civil servants to educate and train them in the agricultural sector.

In his remark, Koffy Kouacou, the representative of Food and Agriculture Organisation, pledged continued support for Nigeria in the agricultural sector.

Jazmian Allen, Co-chair Donor Working Group, also pledged continuous partnership towards achieving food security in Nigeria.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria