Perpetua Egesimba

Agricultural experts have said that for Nigeria to be reckoned with in the agricultural sector, it needs a minimum of 50 years development plan.

Speaking during a press briefing on the third edition of Feed Nigeria Summit (FNS) in Lagos which was themed: “Unlocking Prosperity through Partnership,” the Director-General FNS, Mr. Richard Mark Mbaram stated that the summit focused on the narratives critical for unleashing  job creation and potential of the Nigerian agricultural sector.

According to him, a society cannot be developed without looking at laws, adding that what Nigeria needs now is a minimum of 50 years development plan in the agricultural space.

“We had the agricultural transformation agenda and it got to the top where we could have taken it to the next level. That should have been done in 2015 because that agenda set us on a policy framework, which we had then and it’s already weakened.

“Africa already commended us for that Agric policy. We could have picked impact from it and implement it consistently. Look at China, India and Brazil, they already have their roots in the agricultural sector. In the world today, Brazil is the first to reckon with in the global agriculture.”

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Mbaram reiterated that FNS 2019 will feature key narratives around the core theme which basically highlights the need for synergy among actors in the agribusiness ecosystem.

“Any informed assessment of the Nigerian agricultural sector at this time will show that those who are really succeeding in business have embraced the culture of partnership”, Mbaram contended.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of Stallion, Anant Badjatya said, the Agribusiness space in Nigeria needs to be populated by stakeholders who are willing to collaborate to solve existing problems and also take advantage of existing opportunities for increased value provision.

“For Nigeria to meet the economic needs of its vast population, a viable and prosperous agricultural sector is an imperative. It is the sector that will provide the lion share of the jobs badly needed to power the economy”, Anant said.

Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS), Prof Eustace Iyayi, stated that FNS is Nigeria’s flagship agricultural sector convocation and has over the years earned its position as a unique platform which addresses the critical issues concerning the nation’s agro-economy.

Others who spoke at the event include, Lagos State Deputy Chairman of All Farmers Assocission of Nigeria, Mr. Shakin Agbayema, Director, West Africa Virus Epidemiology (WAVE) Project, Covenant University Hub, Dr Angela Eni and the Country CEO of Hinutrients, Adetoyi Olabode among others.