Dr. Mohammad Abubakar, the minister of agriculture and rural development, stated yesterday that substantial investments from the federal government and the private sector are required to transform agriculture, end hunger, and lower food waste in the nation. The Minister disclosed this at the signing ceremony for the Country Programming Framework (CPF) 2023–2027 of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) that this framework would assist vulnerable households in accessing better food, maintaining healthy diets, and boosting the rural economy at a time when Nigerian farmers most needed it. He urged the creation of a robust action plan to address the effects of post-harvest losses, inadequate supply chains, institutional weaknesses, pandemics around the world, and climate change on food systems.

Speaking further, Abubakar stressed the significance of implementing the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (2023–2027) and the FAO country programming framework to support Nigeria’s efforts at economic diversification, strengthen food systems, guarantee domestic food security, and generate income through exports.

He said, “This exceptional development engineered the Government of Nigeria to continually develop an array of policies, strategies, and programmes to boost food production and productivity in the country. “Obviously, development partners are aware of the federal government’s commitment and initiatives in providing an enabling environment for sustainable investment in agriculture as the mainstay of the national economy.”

Nonetheless, the minister said the framework emphasises four pillars of priorities for agricultural development: strengthening national food and nutrition security through enhanced nutrition-sensitive and climate-smart food systems; support for appropriate and operationally effective agricultural policy; and a regulatory framework.

Other areas of focus include support for Nigeria’s economic diversification agenda and promotion of decent employment for youth and women in the agriculture value chains; improving the efficient and sustainable management of natural resources and ecosystems; and enhancing disaster risk reduction, resilience building, and emergency management towards strengthening the humanitarian-development nexus.

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Source: Agro Nigeria 

https://agronigeria.ng/massive-investment-needed-to-transform-agriculture-end-hunger-reduce-food-wastage-in-nigeria/