The Nigerian Government, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and the World Bank have pledged to form a formidable partnership on innovative agricultural practices to address food insecurity in the country.
This was the outcome of a high-level meeting between Vice President Kashim Shettima and a delegation from the IITA, World Bank, and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Speaking during the meeting, VP Shettima said the whole mantra is focused on increasing yield, and the IITA is in a vantage position to assist not just Nigeria but sub-Saharan Africa in repositioning the agriculture ecosystem through smart agriculture, climate-resilient agriculture, and improved seedlings.
“The IITA is at a vantage position to assist not just Nigeria but sub-Saharan Africa towards repositioning the agriculture ecosystem through smart agriculture, climate resilient agriculture, and improved seedlings,” he said.
VP Shettima noted the significant role of the IITA established in 1967 in shaping Nigeria’s agricultural landscape.
“More than ever before, we need the IITA now. By 2050, we will be the third most populous nation on earth,” Shettima stated.
The Vice President also noted the interconnectivity between the economy and ecology, exacerbated by desertification, climate change, and insecurity challenges in the Sahel region.
“In the food basket of the nation, there is an incestuous relationship between economy and ecology because of desertification and climate change. The productivity of our agriculture is poor, and is compounded by insecurity, which might not be unconnected with the challenges in the Sahel,” he explained.
Calling for close collaboration with the IITA, VP Shettima pointed out the importance of investing in agriculture as a business.
He specifically requested the institute’s assistance in providing high-quality seeds for maize and root crops, particularly cassava.
The Vice President lauded the widespread adoption of IITA’s improved cassava seedlings in the Southwest region, urging the institute to extend similar initiatives to other sub-Saharan African nations.
Earlier, the Director General of the IITA, Dr Simeon Ehui, said the delegation from the Institute was in Abuja for a strategic meeting that aims to review IITA’s partnerships, collaborations and stakeholder engagements.
He added that the institute aims to support the Government’s efforts in addressing food security in Nigeria and across the West African region.
The Deputy Director General, Partnerships for Delivery, IITA, Dr Dashiell Kenton, also said the institute is supporting a few initiatives of the Government aimed at creating employment opportunities for young Nigerians in the sector.
In the same vein, the World Bank Practice Manager for Agriculture and Food Global Practice, Abel Lufafa, said the IITA, World Bank and other partners were delighted with the level of interest and quantum of support deployed by the Government in revamping agricultural productivity in the country.
He said the President and Vice President are demonstrating uncommon leadership in repositioning agricultural production in Nigeria, just as he noted that the World Bank and other partners are impressed with the paradigm shift especially the change to a government-led collaboration in the sector.
Lantana Nasir
