In a significant stride toward enhancing Nigeria’s agricultural sector, stakeholders have convened to validate a crucial policy framework aimed at revolutionising agricultural standards and grading in the country.
Speaking at the national validation workshop organised by the National Association of Nigerian Agribusiness Group (NABG) with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Nigeria National Accreditation System, the president of NABG, Arc Kabir Ibrahim, highlighted the extensive assessments conducted across three geopolitical zones – Enugu, Kano, and Ibadan – as a significant milestone.
He emphasized the urgent need to elevate agriculture as the cornerstone of Nigeria’s economy, given the challenges faced in food security despite the country’s reliance on oil.
“We’ve been diligently working to bolster our agricultural economy to meet the needs of Nigeria’s burgeoning population. Policies and interventions are underway, yet the grading and standardization of our produce play a pivotal role in our agricultural sector. Proper execution could position Nigeria among prosperous nations.
“I encourage you to inquire, contribute, and reaffirm our endeavors today. This will incentivise the government to enact validated strategies, ensuring superior implementation compared to past policies.
For Nigerian farmers, this marks a gateway to prosperity.
“With abundant land resources, population, and existing number of farmers in Nigeria, there’s no reason why we should be struggling to achieve food security. Instead, we should leverage our agricultural output to create employment opportunities and address the high unemployment rates in the country. Despite challenges, living in Nigeria today is undeniably tough.
“In agriculture, it’s a well-known fact that many times our export attempts face rejection, and some of our commodities spoil in transit due to inadequate sales regulations. Validating this will give us the motivation to address these issues.
“We must take action today and follow through. This validation can lift us out of poverty and establish us as the leading agricultural force in Africa, not just in name but in reality. We should strive for excellence in agricultural processes, transforming from ordinary farmers to leaders in agribusiness. Incentivising farmers will encourage increased productivity, ultimately benefiting both farmers and the agribusiness sector. You should find joy in selling what you produce during this time of reform.”
Director-general of NABG, Mr Jafar Umar, expressed concern that Nigerian commodities failed to compete favourably with those of other countries in the global market, underscoring the importance of the draft policy to put the nation on track for achieving excellent grading and standardization.
“The event today marks a pivotal milestone for the NABG as it signifies the national validation of a policy framework we have been diligently developing for the past two years. This framework is indispensable for fostering the success of agricultural businesses in Nigeria,” he stated.
Representative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), Dr Audu Grema, explained that the meeting aimed to bring stakeholders to understand the policy for collective buy-in and for everyone to also understand what the policy was all about.
“At the end of the validation workshop, we expect greater access to the standards of ratings, greater partnership with exporters and importers to adhere to standards and ratings as applicable to Nigeria, and greater knowledge and awareness around adulteration and poor standards that can offend the system that had been set up,” he said.
Director-General of Nigeria National Accreditation System and Project Consultant for the validation exercise, Celestine Okanya, said that commodity grading and standardisation had been a challenge for Nigeria because local commodity dealers who wished to access the international market could only get appropriate reward for their efforts if they were able to sell at the international market prices.
He said, “But you cannot achieve international market prices if you do not have the price tied to a grade.”
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