VP Shettima Assures IITA Of Government Partnership On Food Security

Nigeria’s Vice President, Sen. Kashim Shettima on Wednesday assured the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) of government’s partnership towards ensuring food security in the country.

Sen. Shettima spoke at the Presidential Villa, Abuja when he received in audience the IITA delegation led by the Director-General and Regional Director for Africa, Simeon Ehui.

He told the delegation that the Tinubu administration would give all the necessary support and assistance to ensure food security and enhance agricultural practice that would produce enough food for the citizenry.

“There has to be a paradigm shift. Our agricultural output is low as compared to our size of population and even the unfriendly environmental factors.
So, this is a time of change and I want to give you the guarantee that my boss is with you and he will solidly support you to execute your mandate. My boss, President Bola Tinubu is a man of courage and conviction and he has determined to reposition the nation more than ever before.”

While commending the IITA team for the many successes they have recorded in the agriculture sector in the West African region, Vice President Shettima praised IITA for doing well in the production of certain agricultural produce such as “cassava, yam, soya beans.

He stated further that IITA has an iconic presence in Nigeria, in Ibadan and West Africa and as such reasoned that the country must maximize the benefits, which the institution can bring to bear on the agriculture sector in the country.

“Your own mantra is about the increase in agricultural yield and what tools can be used to improve such yield; ensure seed quality and availability, sound agricultural practices, fertilizer, and most importantly market accessibility”.

“These are not rocket science, these are real and of course, if we can have very sound and environmentally friendly irrigation mechanism that will enhance our farm outputs, we can achieve our objectives”.

VP Shettima lauded the institution for its reputation and international best practices, noting that the “Federal Government can effortlessly do business with you. So, I want to give you my candid assurance that by my training, by my inclination as an agricultural economist and as a banker by profession, we can definitely engage with you.”

Earlier, the Director-General, Simeon Ehui, thanked the Federal Government for the support to IITA over the years, disclosing that it has expanded across many states in the country. He expressed the readiness of IITA to partner with the Tinubu administration, adding that so much needs to be done in Nigeria.

Agricultural value chain

Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting with the Vice President, Ehui said that the growth of the Nigerian population has made it imperative for the IITA to work with government to develop technology for food processing.

“As you know, with the growth in population and with increasing demand the agri-business part is very important.
“So, value chain development is very important. How do you go from production to processing to improving consumer taste preferences?

“IITA also works in these areas to provide the technology and technical assistance needed to do that. In cassava area, for example, we are doing a lot of agri-business, mechanization, processing to help to improve the livelihood of the people, while making agriculture as a business.”

Ehui said that as research institute, the IITA has worked on plant diseases and health as well as on market development and agri-business development.