FG REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO FOOD SECURITY, JOB CREATION
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Agency Report
The Federal Government has restated its commitment to addressing food insecurity and unemployment through the development of agriculture and the livestock sector.
The Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Maiha, disclosed this on Monday at the second International Conference of the Agrifood Systems Stakeholders Forum held at the University of Port Harcourt.
The conference, organised by the Agricultural Policy Research Network, focused on strategies to tackle food insecurity, poverty and youth unemployment in Nigeria.
Represented by the Director of Ruminant and Monogastric Development, Victor Egbon, Maiha commended APRNet for convening the conference and urged stakeholders to strengthen collaboration in advancing the agricultural sector.
He called on relevant stakeholders to support the Federal Government’s coordinated national livestock development agenda, noting that the initiative would increase agricultural productivity, generate employment and rebuild public confidence in the sector.
Maiha acknowledged the challenges affecting the growth of agriculture, including climate variability, flooding, drought, land degradation and rising input costs.
He added that animal diseases, post-harvest losses, poor market linkages and limited access to finance were also constraining producers and consumers.
According to him, the government is working to address these challenges by improving access to skills, financing, infrastructure and markets.
“Within these challenges lies a compelling opportunity to build agrifood systems that are more productive, inclusive and climate-resilient, while creating decent jobs for women and young people,” he said.
The minister further highlighted the livestock value chain as an area with significant investment opportunities, particularly in feed production, hatcheries, dairy collection, animal health services, storage, processing, logistics and waste-to-wealth enterprises.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Princewill Chike, described agriculture as a key solution to brain drain and youth migration in Africa.
Chike urged the government and policymakers to make agriculture more attractive to young people as part of efforts to address the “Japa” syndrome.
He also commended the administration of President Bola Tinubu for prioritising agriculture, while stressing the need for consistency and sustainability in agricultural policies.
The President and Conference Coordinator of APRNet, Prof. Anthony Onoja, called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to tackle food insecurity and youth unemployment.
Onoja said the conference was aimed at combining academic research with policy-driven solutions to hunger and poverty.
He added that the meeting would seek sustainable solutions to low farm productivity, climate-related challenges and conflict.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the conference was supported by the Federal Government, the European Union and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, among others.
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