Niger govt. to explore 3 million hectares of arable land, reiterates commitment to feed the Nation.
Niger State Government has said that it is determined to explore 3 million hectares of land across the State to harvest the State potentials in the Green Economy and tap from the numerous gains of productive agricultural production.
Farmer Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago disclosed this during the commemoration of the 2024 World Food Day held at the Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi Conference Centre, Minna.
Represented by his Deputy, Comrade Yakubu Garba, the farmer Governor said, with the State enormous water bodies and the attributes of 23 grazing reserves in addition to the 94 forest reserves in the State, they remain key factors to combating hunger and ensuring food sufficiency.
He described this year’s theme of the World Food Day as apt bearing in mind that the Nation is faced with the critical challenge of high cost of living resulting from economic realities, insecurity, and climate change which he said have all aggravated food insecurity and threatened the survival of the vulnerable people in the Society.
The Farmer Governor used the forum to again reaffirm his administration’s resolve to reposition the State, as a foremost agricultural State, leading in agricultural production and contribute to the overall food security of the nation.
He said the State Government has invested heavily in the agricultural sector by procuring machinery and technology for enhanced land preparation and cultivation .
Farmer Umaru Bago enjoined all stakeholders to work closely and fine-tune implementable policies and strategies that will facilitate sustainable food for all while also using the avenue to call on genuine investors and partners across the globe to take advantage of the tremendous opportunities available in the State to invest in all aspects of agricultural practice.
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Musa Bawa Bosso, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Mathew Ahmed acknowledged the massive agricultural development programmes of Farmer Governor Umaru Bago under his New Niger Agenda adding that it has set the pace in the area of implementing the Sustainable Food security agenda of the Federal Government.
He said the Ministry remains resolute in terms of the implementation of the policies and programmes of the present administration in the State through collaborations with Development Partners and other government agencies to produce more food and eliminate hunger in the State in particular and Nigeria at large.
In their separate remarks, the State Coordinator Green House, Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Food security, Dr. Ladan Suleiman, the Executive Director, National Cereals Research Institute, Dr. Mohammed Ndagi, the Chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Alh. Shehu Galadima, the Executive Director Operations, Niger Foods, Patience Koku applauded the efforts of the Niger State Government in the Agricultural sector and re-affirmed their commitment and support through their expertise to achieving the set targets.
The Guest Speaker Prof. Job Nmadu, of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management, Federal University of Technology Minna, in paper titled Niger State Agricultural Revolution: Is it a solution to hunger and better health?, commended the Niger State government for it transformative Agricultural policies aimed at boosting food production to address hunger and poverty.
Represented by Dr. Halima Salau, a senior lecturer in the Department, the Guest Speaker suggested that People-Centric Development Policies; appropriate technology commensurate with the knowledge and capacity of Farmers; and Research to Produce High-Yielding Seed among others are needed to be done by the State government to achieve its objective of eliminating hunger and ensure better health for all citizens.
Awards were presented to Farmer Governor Umaru Bago, and other individuals as well as Development partners in recognition of their efforts in Agriculture to ensuring food security.
The farmer Governor thereafter inspected some food crops and livestock displayed at the exhibition stand.
