The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Mohammad Abubakar, has called on the government and the private sector to make substantial investments to transform agriculture, end hunger, and lower food waste in the nation.
Abubakar made this call in Abuja, during the signing ceremony of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Country Programming Framework (CPF) 2023-2027, where he noted that the framework came at a time when Nigerian farmers most desired it to help boost the rural economy.
Following the expiration of the 2018–2022 CPF, FAO in Nigeria commenced a new phase with the signing of an agreement with the federal government for the implementation of the new CPF to the tune of $99.5 million over the next five years.
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According to FAO, the document will define priority areas of governance and guide the partnership between the parties, combining innovative international best practices and global standards with national and regional expertise.
The minister related the importance of the framework to that of the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (2023–2027), in supporting Nigeria’s efforts at economic diversification, strengthening food systems, guaranteeing domestic food security, and generating income through exports.
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He called for a strong action plan in collaboration with development partners to address the impact of climate change, global pandemics, institutional inadequacies, post-harvest losses, and a weak supply chain on food systems, so as to assist vulnerable households in accessing better food and maintaining healthy diets.
The FAO Representative in Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Fred Kafeero, explained in his presentation during the agreement signing that the CPF 2023–2027 document is targeted at realizing four strategic priorities of the FAO: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better life.
