Taiwo Hassan 
In response to the declaration of emergency on food and water by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in line with the food security pillar of the renewed hope agenda, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has disclosed that the ministry is promoting collaborations across the board with all stakeholders on food security. The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, stated this in an interview with New Telegraph in Lagos.
He said that the move was to bring about the necessary transformation in the food system required for the immediate and long-term interventions. To underscore the importance of collaboration, Kyari pointed out that areas such as finance, transport, energy, security, and water were vital for agriculture to thrive, but require the intervention of other MDAs in finance, petroleum, water, and security sectors. He said: “Likewise, to bring about transformative change we need private sector participation in the areas of investment, innovation, promotion of models that can ensure sustainability while government provides the enabling environment.
“As an immediate response, we have called for partnerships across the board and repurposed various interventions to help ramp up the production of staple commodities, starting with wheat in the dry season, dovetailing into rice and maize, and then to cassava and soybeans in the rainy season. “These staple crops also support livestock and fisheries feed production. In this effort, we are employing a food system approach by building an ecosystem where each stakeholder plays a role in supporting farmers, especially smallholder farmers, to improve production and productivity. “By reaching out to our Governors, we are witnessing much-needed investments and support being made across the country along different value chains.
“A key challenge is the issue of data for identifying genuine farmers. “In this regard, we are leveraging ICT and partnering with state governments and other stakeholders to ensure we target real farmers with our support to enable actual production.” While speaking on cold chain, the agric minister explained that Nigeria needed a window that will serve as a pivotal platform for fostering collaboration, innovation, and knowledge exchange towards building resilient and inclusive cold chain ecosystems in the six geopolitical region.
Kyari said: “Our ministry will continue to work with the organisation and others in addressing the issue of post-harvest losses. As representatives of government, industry, academia, and civil society, let us seize this opportunity to rededicate ourselves to the cause of advancing agrifood system transformation, ensuring food security, and combating malnutrition in Nigeria and beyond. “Together, let us forge a path towards a future where every Nigerian has access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food, and where our agricultural sector thrives in harmony with our environment and communities.”
