The Federal Government has expressed its readiness to
partner with an international non-governmental organisation (NGO), the
Sasakawa African Association (SAA) on extension services to further
boost the country’s agricultural sector.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina disclosed this when the chairperson of SAA Board, Prof. Ruth Oniago led a delegation of the association to his office in Abuja recently.
The minister who noted that the partnership would help the country in the demonstration of its extension programmes said it would also go a long way to help create jobs for the unemployed youths in the country.
“Sasakawa Global 2000 is a strategic partnership in our quest to transform the country. It is well known for maize and has demonstrations in over 200 countries.
“Many women farmers were able to know about hybrid seeds, especially in Kenya, Mali and even Nigeria due to the efforts of Sasakawa”, he said.
The minister who commended the association for helping to avert food crisis in Ethiopia and Uganda assured that Nigeria would continue to work with it to improve farming methods in the country.
He revealed that the federal government has set aside the sum of N37 billion to create jobs for the youths through the Agriculture Transformation Agenda (ATA) adding that the present administration did not take agriculture as a development programme but as a business in order to develop the sector.
He said to achieve this, the government has been involving the organised private sector in all its reforms so as to grow the sector. “We have liberalised the process of seeds and fertilizers for the farmers to get imputs at the right time and at affordable prices”, he said.
According to him, SAA administers and manages Sasakawa Global 2000, a programme aimed at ensure food security in sub-saharan Africa and educating small-sale farmers on modern farming methods including the use of quality seeds and small amounts of fertilizer to increase yield.
Earlier, Oniag’o assured the minister that the association with the strategic ATA action plan of the federal government especially in the area of training experts on agriculture extension services.
“We are to produce expertise that would train extension workers for Nigeria “We will also like to create jobs for women in Nigeria, because women are the ones who are involved in post harvest in agriculture”, he said.
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina disclosed this when the chairperson of SAA Board, Prof. Ruth Oniago led a delegation of the association to his office in Abuja recently.
The minister who noted that the partnership would help the country in the demonstration of its extension programmes said it would also go a long way to help create jobs for the unemployed youths in the country.
“Sasakawa Global 2000 is a strategic partnership in our quest to transform the country. It is well known for maize and has demonstrations in over 200 countries.
“Many women farmers were able to know about hybrid seeds, especially in Kenya, Mali and even Nigeria due to the efforts of Sasakawa”, he said.
The minister who commended the association for helping to avert food crisis in Ethiopia and Uganda assured that Nigeria would continue to work with it to improve farming methods in the country.
He revealed that the federal government has set aside the sum of N37 billion to create jobs for the youths through the Agriculture Transformation Agenda (ATA) adding that the present administration did not take agriculture as a development programme but as a business in order to develop the sector.
He said to achieve this, the government has been involving the organised private sector in all its reforms so as to grow the sector. “We have liberalised the process of seeds and fertilizers for the farmers to get imputs at the right time and at affordable prices”, he said.
According to him, SAA administers and manages Sasakawa Global 2000, a programme aimed at ensure food security in sub-saharan Africa and educating small-sale farmers on modern farming methods including the use of quality seeds and small amounts of fertilizer to increase yield.
Earlier, Oniag’o assured the minister that the association with the strategic ATA action plan of the federal government especially in the area of training experts on agriculture extension services.
“We are to produce expertise that would train extension workers for Nigeria “We will also like to create jobs for women in Nigeria, because women are the ones who are involved in post harvest in agriculture”, he said.
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