Minister: Food Security is Nigeria’s Biggest Priority

The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to enhancing food security in the country with the launch of new initiatives aimed at improving agricultural productivity and mechanisation.

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, made this known during his appearance on Channel Television’s Sunrise Daily Show on Monday.

Abdullahi highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to address the challenges in the agricultural sector, noting that food security has become a top priority under the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration.

“It is a lot of work. You know whenever you meet a system that’s down, you need to take it up and do the work so that it will respond to the demand of the system.

“For us at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, it’s no longer new. We all know that last year, the President declared a state of emergency on food security because we were not doing very well. We had very bad numbers,” Abdullahi said.

The minister emphasised that food security is not only critical for ensuring adequate nutrition for Nigerians but also for driving economic growth, poverty alleviation, and promoting gender inclusivity.

“As part of the Renewed Hope Agenda, because food security is on the front burner in the agriculture sector, it is the mainstream of Nigeria’s economy. It is expected to also play a critical role in the economy as a means of poverty alleviation and gender inclusivity,” Abdullahi added.

In tackling the country’s agricultural challenges, Abdullahi pointed out that the government has focused on addressing the rudimentary nature of tools available to Nigerian farmers.

He announced the launch of several large-scale mechanization projects, which are expected to transform farming practices across the country.

“We looked at the rudimentary nature of work tools of our farmers. One of the first things is to look at the mechanization. We have a very robust mechanization programme starting from the Greener Up Initiative Mechanization Programme, Belarus, and now we have the Greener Imperative Project coming from Brazil,” he said.

The Greener Imperative Project, according to the minister, is set to roll out in January 2025, following a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“The President has given a matching order for the Greener Imperative Project to come on stream January 2025,” Abdullahi stated.

According to him, the project, which aims to modernise Nigeria’s agricultural machinery, is expected to significantly boost food production, reduce reliance on traditional farming methods, and improve the overall efficiency of the agricultural sector.