By Gabriel Ewepu
ABUJA—THE Federal Government, yesterday, commended Japan for a 12 billion Japanese Yen loan to boost food production through the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket, NAGS-AP.
In a statement by Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, lauded Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA, for the intervention.
He said the loan facility would be utilized on three components, including enhancement of rice seed quality, improvement in delivery of farm inputs, quality extension services and enhancement of private sector participation in the production of agriculture inputs.
This was disclosed during a meeting with the Economic Development Department of JICA, led by the Director General, Takao Shimokawa, at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
He said the rice seeds production project, domiciled in the National Cereal Research Institute NCRI, Badeggi, Niger State, under the ministry, was strategic in enhancing the research and development for breeding of high-yield, disease resistant varieties that could withstand climate variability.
He said: “We will do our part under the technical cooperation with NCRI and include the National Agricultural Seed Council, NASC, to add value to the seed ecosystem.
“While enhancing seed quality is crucial, we recognise that knowledge dissemination is equally important.
“Our partnership on market-oriented agriculture promotion with JICA on the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion, SHEP, project from 2020 to 2024, covering 14 states in Nigeria, including Nasarawa, Benue, Osun, Ogun, Kogi, FCT, Taraba, Jigawa, Edo, Anambra, Ebonyi, Cross River, Gombe and Kebbi, has empowered smallholder farmers and served as a bridge between research and practice.”
, ensuring that farmers are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive.”
Meanwhile, the minister said the ministry would leverage technology to enhance extension services, using mobile applications to provide real-time information on weather patterns, market prices and pest outbreaks to make informed decisions and adapt to challenges more swiftly.
He also emphasised that implementing emergency food security measures, enhanced rice seed quality, and expanding extension services were not just initiatives but commitments to the future of communities and the nation.
The minister noted that working together with JICA, researchers, NGOs, and farmers, “we can create a sustainable and resilient agricultural system that ensures food security for all.”
Earlier in his remarks, the Director General, Economic Development Department, JICA, Takao Shimokawa, expressed gratitude for the long-standing collaboration between the ministry and JICA.
He assured that JICA would continue to prioritize the collaboration towards ensuring economic prosperity and food security in Nigeria, as JICA is fully aligned with the ministry’s mandate.
“Today, I will take advantage to report the recent progress of JICA assistance in the agricultural sector in three key areas to include food security, announcing that the first disbursement of the loan has been paid yesterday. Now, we are proceeding to supervision and monitoring of the fund utilisation,” he said.
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