The Nasarawa State Government has secured a $370,000 grant from the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa, AGRA, Nigeria, to foster inclusive transformation within the agricultural sector.
At the launch of the Nasarawa State Capability for Inclusive Agriculture Transformation project in Lafia on Friday, Mr. Rufus Idris, the Country Director for AGRA, shared the news.
Idris explained that AGRA was established in 2006 by Dr. Kofi Anan, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, with the goal of empowering Africans to take control of transforming their agriculture and food systems by acquiring the necessary knowledge and expertise.
He added that AGRA has been actively involved in Nigeria for the past 17 years, particularly in Kaduna and Niger States, supporting the government, smallholder farmers and various private sector organizations to boost agricultural output.
The Country Director also highlighted that over one million smallholder farmers across Nigeria have benefited from AGRA’s support.
Idris pointed out that AGRA’s collaboration with Nasarawa State is crucial due to the state’s strategic role in the ongoing agricultural reforms initiated by the administration of Governor Abdullahi Sule, which aims to revolutionize Nigeria’s agriculture sector.
The grant-funded project, according to Idris, will focus on creating an Agricultural Policy and an Agricultural Investment Plan for Nasarawa.
The initiative will also focus on building the capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources staff to effectively lead Nasarawa’s agricultural transformation efforts.
Idris mentioned that the project, housed within the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources, will be implemented by Jesnoch International, a consulting firm, with support from the Nasarawa Investment and Development Agency, NASIDA and the Nasarawa Agricultural Development Programme.
He urged all stakeholders in the agriculture sector to actively engage and contribute to the project to ensure its success.
Mr. Umar Abdullahi, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, expressed his appreciation to AGRA for their collaboration in transforming Nasarawa’s agricultural sector.
Represented by Mr. Ibrahim Abdullahi, Managing Director of NASIDA, the Permanent Secretary emphasized the importance of agriculture to Nasarawa’s economic development, as the state is predominantly agrarian.
“The Nasarawa Economic Development Strategy focuses on transitioning the state from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture, which will generate employment and rejuvenate the state’s economy,” Abdullahi said.
He added that agriculture plays a central role in the state’s growth and its new economic direction.
Abdullahi also highlighted that the partnership with AGRA would strengthen the agricultural reforms undertaken by Governor Sule’s administration since 2019.
He expressed satisfaction with AGRA’s approach to transforming the entire agricultural value chain, recognizing the government’s role as a key enabler in improving the business climate and attracting investment.
Dr. Charles Iyangbe, CEO of Jesnoch International, the firm tasked with implementing the project, mentioned that the project will run from January 2025 to June 2027.
Iyangbe stated that; “the project involves working within the existing institutional framework is to create an enhanced State Agricultural Policy document that will drive food system transformation in the state.
“The project would also develop a State Agricultural Investment Plan for Nasarawa, aligning with the National Agricultural Investment Plan, to attract investment into the sector.”
Furthermore, Iyangbe shared that the project aims is to strengthen the capacity of approximately 30 Ministry of Agriculture staff, enabling them to effectively deliver the food system transformation program in Nasarawa.
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