The Federal Government says it is targeting more than $50 billion revenue from agriculture in the next 10 years to 15 years.
Chief Audu Ogbeh, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said this in Abuja on Thursday at the 2017 Strategy Retreat organised for the ministry’s director by Synergos in collaboration with the ministry.
Ogbeh said earnings would come through a joint effort from the government, private sector, farmers and citizens by boosting cocoa production, cashew production, rice, pulses production for exports.
Ogbeh said: “We are glad that last year or last year, we were able to produce enough rice to satisfy Nigerian demands.
“We believe that by the end of this year, we may end put behind the question of rice importation in the process, it shall not only save foreign exchange; we shall also open opportunities for the nearly 12 million rice farmers in this country.
“Of course, we are all in the state of shock with the way the economy has gone down and naira has weakened.
“We recognise the pain. We are sad about it, but we have to cure it. Complaining will not work and the first step is food, good food.
“At the centre of all this is this ministry.
“Let’s make sure that Nigeria becomes the major player in the field of agriculture, let’s make sure that this country in the next 10-15 years is talking about at least 50 billion dollars a year from agri-products.”
The minister said that the North African sub-region and the Central Africa Republic were currently depending on Nigeria to meet their demands for grains.
He, therefore, appealed to farmers and other agriculture stakeholders to work diligently to meet the target.
Ogbeh disclosed that government had procured at least 110 rice mills, which would be distributed to states.
According to him, government has made provisions in the 2017 budget to procure additional 50 rice mills to encourage rice farmers to boost production.
The Country Director of Synergos, Adewale Ajadi, said the retreat, titled: “Unlocking Institutional Effectiveness for the Green Alternative,” was to collaborate with various players for effective implementation of the alternative.
Ajadi said the organisation would partner with the federal, state and local governments to enable them to implement the policies embedded in the “Green Alternative”.
Ajadi said: “I am really excited because we are part of the process of contributing towards Green Alternative so we all have a roadmap.
“So all the challenges we are talking about are now integrated into that. We are at the pivotal point at this country. It is critical that everybody knows that if we do not talk about agriculture, we are in trouble so, we have to do that.
“We are all working together in partnership.”
Adebunmi Shobowale, the Director, Human Resource Management, assured that the directors at the ministry, who were major drivers of the Green Alternative, would work assiduously to ensure the implementation of the initiative.
The Federal Government had in August 2016 launched the Green Alternative Roadmap aimed at reviving the agriculture sector to boost food production in the country.
Synergos is a global non-profit organisation that fights poverty and its effects, especially on nutrition, agriculture, education and employment opportunities.
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