Kyari Says Private Sector Is Key\u00a0 Driver for Agricultural Growth<\/p>\n
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari has underscored the importance of private sector participation in the agricultural ecosystem, noting that it will not only drive investment but also innovation and inclusive growth.<\/p>\n
The Minister stated this when Alessandro Marini, the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Chief for the Investment Centre in West and Central Africa, led a delegation on courtesy visit to his Office in Abuja recently<\/p>\n
Kyari assured that the federal government would provide an enabling environment by establishing clear-cut policies, regulatory frameworks, and an overall stable business climate that incentivizes private investment and mitigates risk.<\/p>\n
During previous meetings, the Minister said, “we presented some key partners and highlighted shared belief that the private sector is the primary engine of growth. You agreed that the focus of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) investment should be on strengthening private sector participation\u2019\u2019.<\/p>\n
He added that \u2018\u2019this meeting will provide an opportunity for you to hear directly from Directors of departments and technical teams, as well as private sector partners, so that you can gain a deeper understanding of the opportunities across value chains. We also have with us the Executive Secretary of the National Agricultural Development Fund, a three year old institution designed to support agricultural financing and innovation\u2019\u2019.<\/p>\n
According to him, \u2018\u2019we discussed several priority areas for investment and explored potential partnerships that can deliver measurable impact. As a government, we stand fully ready to support your next steps and work with you to advance shared objectives\u2019\u2019.<\/p>\n
In a statement by Ezeaja Ikemefuna, the Ministry’s Head of Information, Kyari pointed out that \u2018\u2019We are encouraged that the FAO Investment Centre, working in partnership with EBRD, has also expanded its footprint by opening an office in Lagos earlier this year\u2019\u2019.<\/p>\n
He therefore urged them to visit some of the production sites across the country so as to be acquainted with the scale and diversity of agricultural activity, from staple crops to livestock and more, noting that their visit also aligns strongly with the Presidential directive mandating the Ministry to take full responsibility for strengthening Nigeria\u2019s food systems and building a pathway towards its sovereignty.<\/p>\n
The Minister added that \u2018\u2019Nigeria remains one of the most promising agricultural markets, with immense potential supported by a young, rapidly growing population. We are currently around 232 million people, and the World Bank projects that we will reach 400 million by 2050. That is only 25 years from now, a period that will pass quickly, just as the year 2000 feels like yesterday, the urgency is clear\u2019\u2019.<\/p>\n
In his remarks, the FAO Chief for the Investment Centre in West and Central Africa, Alessandro Marini, stated that the organization would work assiduously with the federal government to unlock Nigeria\u2019s agribusiness investment in line with government\u2019s economic diversification policy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Kyari Says Private Sector Is Key\u00a0 Driver for Agricultural Growth The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari has underscored the importance of private sector participation in the agricultural ecosystem, noting that it will not only drive investment but also innovation and inclusive growth. The Minister stated this when Alessandro Marini, the Food […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":149344,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-149342","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-others"},"yoast_head":"\n