The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security have commenced discussions on how to deploy existing technical competencies and other resources by the two institutions to improve agro allied-industries development targets, climate change mitigations and smart solar irrigation aimed at dry-season farming.
According to the director of Information, NASENI, Olusegun Ayeoyenikan said the trio of the Minister of Agriculture & Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, the minister of state, Hon. Sabi Aliyu Abdullahi and the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu who held the meeting in 2023 agreed that the nascent collaboration between NASENI and Agric Ministry was aimed at enhancing the focus and deliverables toward achievement of the Renewed Hope Agenda by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
The minister, Senator Abubakar Kyari gave insight to some of the essentials in the 8-Point Renewed Hope Agenda of the government, saying that about six of the eight socio-economic recovery programmes have the starting points in their achievements rooted in the success of the Agricultural sector, his ministry.
According to him, the management of NASENI has secured both local and international technical partners to work with the Agency to mass-produce Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for spraying of insecticides over vast farm locations, sustain afforestation, introduce solar-powered water irrigation to increase wet and dry season farming yields, cold chain food processing and agro-allied value chain additions for preservation and processing of foods in commercial quantities and exports.
“We are embarking on development activities in agriculture from production to commercialization. The key thing is how we can add value to our farm produce or raw materials before they are consumed or before exporting them out of our country.
Also, as for foreign technologies brought into our country, we are seeking the cooperation and collaboration of the Ministry to transfer, domesticate and commercialise such technologies. In a nutshell, this is why we are here,” Halilu stated.
