Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Mar 24, 2017 20:05:58 GMT 1
The Nigerian government has shifted its developmental concentration to the agricultural sector with the aim of reducing poverty on the land, and enhancing wealth creation and employment generation, The Thy Communications Editor, FADARE ADEKANMI writes.
After making agricultural development one of its cardinal programmes the Nigerian government has continued to ensure that maximum attention is focused on agriculture to guarantee rapid development in the country.
The federal government targeted developing agricultural sector to revamp the economy as it confirmed that our country’s wealth creation and employment generation strategy is hinged on agricultural development, agricultural production expansion, agricultural exportation and industrialization of the country.
In boosting agricultural and rural development in the country, the president Muhammadu Buhari administration went back to basics in identifying what worked in the past that could be adapted in the context of the current realities.
It has come to the public knowledge that agricultural development can end poverty and also make a significant contribution to the effort to tackle poverty in Nigeria. It can provide a financial cushion which a business can be revitalized, and provide capital to seemingly hopeless people requiring injection of small capital.
In this regard, effort must be made at all government level to stimulate food production activities through the multiplication and distribution of high-yielding and disease resistant seeds and seedlings of both cash and food crops to farmers at reasonable prices.
The monumental achievements of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo administration were funded from the proceeds of agriculture at a time oil had not assumed any significant position in the nation’s revenue profile. Yet, his administration devoted significant percentage of the state’s budget to agriculture and rural development in order to facilitate the rehabilitation of farm settlements and existing agricultural plantations in the state.
Chief Obafemi Awolowo had moved to adequately fund activities of the four parrastatals under the ministry of agriculture; and purchased necessary farm implements and other farm inputs. Basic food crops namely maize, rice and cassava, and oil palm as well as fish farming and live stock was adopted for massive production in the region.
However, farmers in the country have been motivated some adopted crops/fisheries/livestock in the country to boost production while entrepreneurs have been provided with necessary incentives to get set up small/medium scale enterprises for farm produce across Nigeria.
The government has reiterated the need for the country to give serious attention to agriculture and accord less priority to the petroleum sector. It should be noted that at present, only about 15% of our land is being cultivated. This development must not be encouraged, as we should still continue to encourage our youths to go back into farming. Government should also as a matter of urgency establish agro-processing industries across the country to further encourage our farmers. The present administration should also consider laying a solid foundation for vibrant, research-driven and mechanized farming and technologically induced agro-based industry. This way we can surpass the achievements of our past leaders who made agriculture the mainstay of the economy.
After making agricultural development one of its cardinal programmes the Nigerian government has continued to ensure that maximum attention is focused on agriculture to guarantee rapid development in the country.
The federal government targeted developing agricultural sector to revamp the economy as it confirmed that our country’s wealth creation and employment generation strategy is hinged on agricultural development, agricultural production expansion, agricultural exportation and industrialization of the country.
In boosting agricultural and rural development in the country, the president Muhammadu Buhari administration went back to basics in identifying what worked in the past that could be adapted in the context of the current realities.
It has come to the public knowledge that agricultural development can end poverty and also make a significant contribution to the effort to tackle poverty in Nigeria. It can provide a financial cushion which a business can be revitalized, and provide capital to seemingly hopeless people requiring injection of small capital.
In this regard, effort must be made at all government level to stimulate food production activities through the multiplication and distribution of high-yielding and disease resistant seeds and seedlings of both cash and food crops to farmers at reasonable prices.
The monumental achievements of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo administration were funded from the proceeds of agriculture at a time oil had not assumed any significant position in the nation’s revenue profile. Yet, his administration devoted significant percentage of the state’s budget to agriculture and rural development in order to facilitate the rehabilitation of farm settlements and existing agricultural plantations in the state.
Chief Obafemi Awolowo had moved to adequately fund activities of the four parrastatals under the ministry of agriculture; and purchased necessary farm implements and other farm inputs. Basic food crops namely maize, rice and cassava, and oil palm as well as fish farming and live stock was adopted for massive production in the region.
However, farmers in the country have been motivated some adopted crops/fisheries/livestock in the country to boost production while entrepreneurs have been provided with necessary incentives to get set up small/medium scale enterprises for farm produce across Nigeria.
The government has reiterated the need for the country to give serious attention to agriculture and accord less priority to the petroleum sector. It should be noted that at present, only about 15% of our land is being cultivated. This development must not be encouraged, as we should still continue to encourage our youths to go back into farming. Government should also as a matter of urgency establish agro-processing industries across the country to further encourage our farmers. The present administration should also consider laying a solid foundation for vibrant, research-driven and mechanized farming and technologically induced agro-based industry. This way we can surpass the achievements of our past leaders who made agriculture the mainstay of the economy.
