Managing Director of AgroNigeria, Mr Richard-Mark Mbaram, has said industrialisation of the agriculture sector is key to achieving economic transformation and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Mbaram, who is also the Director-General of Feed Nigeria Summit (FNS), said in Lagos recently that agriculture plays a critical role in transforming economies to reach the SDG’s, along with achieving other essential development goals such as ensuring food security and improved nutrition.
He called for increased economic momentum through partnerships with the private sector to advance the industrialisation of the agricultural sector.
Nigeria, he said, has huge potential for agro-allied transformation. This includes hosting a large spectrum of suitable agro-climatic conditions that allow a broad range of agricultural production.
“Using agriculture to power industrialisation calls for a strong public-private sector partnership that would increase small farm holders’ productivity and enhance their contributions to national and regional value chains,” Mbaram said.
He lauded the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Sabo Nanono, for propelling a partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to promote agro-allied industrialisation.
According to Mbaram, the minister has demonstrated that the ministry is ready to work with AfDB to use agro-allied industrialisation as an effective strategy to achieve productivity, increased employment generation and poverty reduction.
He added that the minister was doing all to support a home grown agenda for economic and social transformation through strong collaborative efforts with the private sector.
“The minister is preparing conditions for industrialisation through modernisation of agriculture that would raise incomes and productivity of poor farmers, lowering food prices and improving nutrition.
“The keys to making agricultural transformation a reality is making modern technologies available and supporting investment in agricultural Research and Development (R&D).” (NAN)
