AGRA Launches 5-Year Strategic Plan on Food System Transformation
AGRA, an African-based agriculture organization, has unveiled a five-year strategic plan(2023-2027) that seeks to improve and strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of smallholder farmers for food system transformation in Nigeria.
It was gathered that the strategy will focus on promoting climate-smart technologies and practices for sustainable farming, strengthening the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and enhancing the country’s capability to design policies, strategies and flagships for execution and monitoring.
AGRA’s Vice President, while speaking during the strategy launch in Abuja, Policy and State Capability, Dr. Apollos Nwafor said: “We want to leverage public-private partnerships to bring about policy reforms and build foundations for the predictability of markets and trade of agricultural commodities to boost agri-food SMEs.
“In the new strategy, we want to expand from two to five states while also establishing climate-smart villages in Kaduna and Niger States.”
Nwafor explained that the implementation of the Strategic Plan would commence in five States of Kaduna, Niger, Nasarawa, Gombe and Oyo, saying that with the provision of more funding support, the programme would be extended to other States.
He noted that 2.5m farmers would be reached under the Strategic Plan. In his own remarks, Ada Osakwe, Board Member of AGRA, described the Strategic Plan as being “bold and ambitious”.
Osakwe stated that the strategic plan would promote agribusiness and agri- entrepreneurs in the country.
She revealed that in the last Strategic Plan, that AGRA earmarked over $35m in the implementation of the Plan.
According to AGRA, the Strategic Plan would engage in policy advocacy, flagship development and public-sector financing to enhance reforms that will entrench public-private investments in the sector.
In addition, it will create inclusive market and trade opportunities for agri-food SMEs that will add value to farmers’ produce as well as introduce them to agri-insurance.
For sustainable farming, AGRA will entrench climate-smart technologies to cushion farmers from the effects of climate change by sharing information on irrigation and nutrition.
Also in his address, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Ernest Umakhihe, commended AGRA for its past programmes in Nigeria which were successful and impactful.
Umakhihe said the Federal Government’s current policy on agriculture aligns with AGRA’s strategic plan in their objectives and mandates.
He then expressed his optimism that the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Federal Government and AGRA would bring about transformation in the food systems of Nigeria.
Agro Nigeria / Foluke Ibitomi
