The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) has trained officers of the ministry on the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) approach, alongside other agricultural initiatives, to boost and reposition the sector as a driver of food security, economic diversification, employment generation and national stability.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the four-day Capacity Building Workshop held at Lake Green, Kado, Abuja, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, said the SHEP approach would transform smallholder farmers from a “grow and sell” subsistence mindset to a “grow to sell” business-oriented approach.
According to him, the initiative would improve farmers’ income by building their technical skills and market access through farmer-led market surveys, gender partnerships and business linkage development, thereby turning farming into a profitable enterprise.
Dr Ogunbiyi noted that the training aligns strongly with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government, particularly its priority of achieving sustainable food security and reducing poverty through inclusive agricultural growth.
He explained that the capacity building programme was a deliberate investment in human capital aimed at strengthening the technical backbone of the Ministry.
The Permanent Secretary added that the programme covers critical thematic areas central to modern agricultural governance and effective service delivery.
He commended “the well-thought-out modules included in this programme, such as improving agricultural and pastoral practices, modern extension methodologies, climate-smart approaches, strengthened monitoring and evaluation systems, policy formulation, contract farming and the SHEP approach.
“Collectively, these areas are expected to promote all-year-round crop production, address food shortages, create employment opportunities, support climate adaptation, and ensure that development initiatives are guided by sound evidence and reliable data,” he said.
Dr Ogunbiyi urged participants to ensure that the capacity building does not end with the workshop, stressing that its true value lies in improved performance, better service delivery and tangible outcomes for Nigerian farmers and agribusinesses.
He assured participants that the Ministry remains firmly committed to achieving food security in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
In his remarks, the SPRiNGS Coordinator, Dr Ukoha Ukiwo, represented by the Head of Research and Evidence at SPRiNGS LEAD, Ephraim Enuch, said the organisation would work in partnership with the Ministry to strengthen extension services, monitoring and evaluation, data systems and policy formulation within the agricultural ecosystem.