Richard-Mark Mbaram, managing director, AgroNigeria, says agro industrialisation is vital for economic transformation, food security, and nutrition in the country.
Speaking in Lagos, Mbaram also director-general, Feed Nigeria Summit said agriculture plays a critical role in transforming economies to reach the goal, along with achieving other essential development goals such as ensuring food security and improving nutrition.
He observed that under-performing agriculture is stifling the effective functioning of the industrial sector; consequently, this has resulted in weak linkage between the agricultural and industrial sectors, in the face of a myriad of opportunities.
He called for increased economic momentum through partnerships to advance the industrialization of the agricultural sector.
Nigeria, according to him, has a huge potential for agro-allied transformation. This includes hosting a large spectrum of suitable agro-climatic conditions that allow a broad range of agricultural production.
According to him, using agriculture to power industrialization calls for a strong public-private sector partnership that increases small farm holders’ productivity and enhances their contribution to national and regional value chains.
He praised Muhammad Sabo Nanono, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, for the partnership for the African Development Bank (AfDB) to promote agro-allied industrialization.
He stated that Nanono has demonstrated the ready to work with AfDB to use agro-allied industrialization as an effective strategy to achieve productive employment and reduction in poverty.
He added that the Agric Minister is doing all to support a homegrown agenda for economic and social transformation through strong collaborative effort with the private sector.
According to him, the Ministry of Agriculture is preparing conditions for industrialization through modernization of agriculture that will raise incomes and productivity of poor farmers, lowering food prices, and improving nutrition.
Mbaram says the keys to making agricultural transformation a reality is making modern technologies available and supporting investment in agricultural research and development (R&D). He said the National agricultural research system needed to be funded to find new technologies suitable for local conditions.
He said AfDB Group President Akinwumi Adesina had identified Staple Crop Processing Zones (SCPZ), as potential joint venture opportunities for Nigeria’s agricultural investment. Through the initiative, he said the bank seeks to transform rural areas from zones of economic misery to zones of economic prosperity.
He urged Nigerians to support the Federal Government towards achieving the agro-allied industrialization agenda.
Josephine Okojie
