Nigeria to Leverage Renewable Energy Resources to Boost Agriculture

The Nigerian Government says it seeks to transform the economy by leveraging renewable energy resources to boost agriculture in the country for sustained growth, better living conditions, job creation, and poverty eradication.

Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was represented by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Abdullahi, said this during the 6th Africa-wide Agricultural Extension Week (AAEW) Conference, with the theme “Harnessing Agricultural Extension and Advisory services in Scaling Regenerative Agriculture Nature-based Solutions for Food System Transformation in Africa”.

“Agriculture must be market-oriented, and Nigeria must move away from the subsistence farming being practised by smallholder farmers.

“In achieving this, the government has come up with programmes such as the National Agriculture Growth Scheme-Agro-pocket, where it has planned to increase the output of production output by supporting farmers with improved seeds, organic and inorganic fertilizers and irrigation facilities at subsidized prices so that increased productivity and ultimately high income of farmers can be guaranteed,” the minister said.

According to Abdullahi, agricultural extension plays a critical role in bringing relevant and improved technologies developed by the National Agricultural Research Institution system to the doorstep of farmers.

“To strengthen agricultural extension delivery services in Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security has put together the first ever Harmonized Extension Manual in Nigeria and a National Agricultural Extension Policy.

“The manual focuses on how to effectively disseminate and deploy agricultural innovation technologies to end-users, using appropriate extension methods.

“The manual will be of great benefit to all extension players, administrators, subject matter specialists, extension agents as well as farmers along the agricultural value chains.

“The National Extension Agricultural Extension Policy seeks to provide a pragmatic, effective and efficient demand-driven, pluralistic, ICT-enabled and market-oriented extension service to all stakeholders, including youths, women, and people with special needs,” he said.

The minister assured the participants of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration’s commitment to food security in line with the government’s “Renewed Hope Agenda”.

“Our resolve is to develop the agricultural sector towards the attainment of the objectives of SDGs, especially those of zero hunger and to improve agricultural and rural productivity. 

“The current plan is to achieve self-sufficiency in production and reduce dependency on food imports,” he further stated.

The Governor of Benue State, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, represented by the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Prof. Moses Okpali, emphasized that the deliberations of the conference would offer valuable insights and practical solutions to local farmers.

“These insights, when put into practice at the state level, are expected to boost agricultural productivity, enhance food security, and contribute to the overall economic development of the nation,” he said.

Also, speaking at the event, the Director of the African Forum for Agricultural Advisory Services, Max Olupot, underscored the significance of the Agricultural Extension Week, emphasizing that it aligns with the broader context of Agricultural Food Systems aimed at ensuring Africa’s self-sufficiency in food production.

He stressed that the success of this goal depends on the collective efforts of individuals and communities, highlighting the importance of individual and communal contributions to advancing agriculture and food security in the continent.