As part of efforts to restore agriculture to its enviable status, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister of state, Dr. Ramatu Tijjani Aliyu, has inaugurated a 12-man agricultural development programme executive committee to drive the process.
The minister, while inaugurating the committee, said in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s mandate of lifting about 100 million out of poverty, the FCT administration places a high premium on agriculture as a viable tool for ensuring food and nutrition security aimed at the reduction of poverty and creation of jobs amongst households in the territory.
“The commitment of this administration to ensuring increased productivity in the agricultural sector and poverty reduction is evidenced in the initiation of a series of viable and sustainable policies and programmes aimed at restoring agriculture to its initial enviable status before the discovery of oil.
“The recently launched National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP) which is meant to provide a roadmap for the transformation of the agri-food systems in Nigeria is another giant step taken by the administration in ensuring food security in the country.
“The policy aims to bring about a long-lasting economic and social change through public and private sector investment in agriculture and rural development,” the minister stated.
Aliyu stressed that the policy also seeks to meet the needs of women, young people, and people with special needs, by consciously incorporating technology and innovation into the agricultural sector which, she said, requires the engagement of appropriate strategies for effective delivery.
The minister noted that to ensure greater efficiency in the operations of the Agricultural development programme, a change of approach and structural transformation has become inevitable.
In his acceptance speech on behalf of the committee members, FCTA permanent secretary and chairman of the committee, Mr. Olusade Adesola, said that the commitment of the FCT minister of state towards the development of the agricultural sector has led to the inauguration of the committee.
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