Food Sufficiency: Agric Ministry Holds Stakeholders Workshop to Review, Upscale NAGS-AP Project
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Bank of Agriculture (BOA), has organised a two-day Stakeholders workshop to assess the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) Project’s performance, identify areas for improvement, and develop a new implementation framework and operational strategies.
Delivering the keynote address at the event held in Orozo, Nasarawa State, Thursday, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, stated that the gathering aims to assess the project’s strengths, weaknesses in order to make it more efficient, effective, and impactful.
He said this is part of efforts to realize President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Agricultural Renewed Hope Agenda, which declared an emergency on Food and Nutrition Security to ensure easy access, affordability, and availability of food for all Nigerians.
“The NAGS-AP Project focuses on six staple food crops – wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, soyabean, and cassava – and aims to bridge the food supply-demand gap, guaranteeing national food and nutrition security,” he added.
Abdullahi highlighted the project’s achievements, including 2,536,184 metric tons of produce worth ₦2,312,746,400,000, contributing to increased food availability and stabilized prices. He noted that food prices are declining, and efforts are being made to address high agricultural input costs.
The Minister assured that the current administration is committed to supporting the agricultural sector, particularly externally funded projects with clear objectives and targets
He announced plans to implement the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) project and the National Agricultural Growth Scheme (NAGS 2.0) programme, focusing on rice, maize, soybean, cassava, and wheat production.
While reiterating the present administration’s commitment to food sufficiency, Abdullahi said many stakeholders present have been involved in the NAGS-AP Project and identified areas requiring amendment for improved outcomes. He therefore encouraged them to share their observations and insights for further enhancement of the project
In his opening remarks, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Marcus Ogunbiyi, said the workshop aimed to review implementation processes, identify challenges, and develop a¹ more robust framework for future success
Represented by the Director Planning, Mr. Ibrahim Tanimu, he stated that
the revised framework features an integrated ICT platform to enhance coordination, transparency, and accountability among stakeholders, including the Bank of Agriculture, noting that aligning the NAGS-AP project secretariat with the Bank of Agriculture will boost implementation, sustainability, and results
The National Project Coordinator, NAGS-AP, Isiaku Ardo, The National Project Coordinator, NAGS-AP, Isiaku Ardo, outlined the project’s objectives, including supporting farmers with critical farm inputs, providing institutional support, and deploying Agricultural Extension Agents and Fertilizer as well as Seed Quality Control Officers.
The event witnessed an assemblage of lawmakers, financial institutions, farmer associations, agribusinesses, ICT providers, and development partners to review the project framework and chart a roadmap for the next implementation phase
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