The Kaduna State Government has formulated a robust policy document to enhance the unprecedented growth and development of the agricultural sector.
This was made known to journalists at a press conference on Tuesday by the Commissioner of Agriculture, Hajiya Halima Lawal, who said the Kaduna State Agricultural Sector has experienced tremendous growth over the past years under the current administration of Nasir El-Rufai, the Kaduna State governor.
The policy evolved in response to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1 and 2 and the need to diversify the economy in other to develop agriculture in the state.
Halima Lawal said that the policy was conceived to accelerate agricultural development and to facilitate its overall socio-economic prosperity by addressing the huge challenges of inefficient and ineffective agricultural systems.
“Governor Nasir El Rufai’s administration recognizes that in ensuring food self-sufficiency for employment generation and stimulating agro industrial development, agriculture is key.”
She said ’Agriculture as the economic backbone, creates self-sufficiency in food production in line with the federal government’s effort to diversify the economy, reducing over-dependency on oil and ultimately creating enabling environment for private sector investment.’’
She noted that the document will guide “all stakeholders in the state’s quest for rapid agricultural development including the private sector through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) concept, as well as in ‘stand-alone’ investments in line with global best practices.’’
She also noted that the documents will provide a strong legal framework for the needed confidence to investors in the sector as well as commit the state and local governments to adequate annual budgetary allocations to agriculture.
“Women are not left out for we have sectors of commodity chains development such as livestock, poultry dairy, fishery and other activities” she added.
Halima appreciated the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) for funding the evolution of the policy through a two-year capacity strengthening project and also the facilitator, Synergos Nigeria for their assistance.
She also commended the Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa (PIATA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UKAid and the Rockefeller Foundation for their support.
Emmanuel Ukoh
