In a bid to drive agroindustrial is at ion and mitigate the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Feed Nigeria Summit is set to hold its annual flagship agricultural conference.
This year’s summit with the theme ‘Agribusiness: Leading Nigeria’s Recovery’ schedule for December 1 and 2, 2020 will focus on how Nigeria can make full economic recovery from the COVID- 19 pandemic by piggybacking on agroindustrial is at ion.
Eustace Iyayi, a professor and chair – Organising Committee, Feed Nigeria Summit said that the summit is aimed at encouraging conversation around key evidence-based solutions for recalibrating the Nigerian economy by leveraging the agricultural sector’s transformative capacity.
“FNS2020 can draw attention to the huge gap that continues to exist between production and need. This gap can be significantly reduced by funding support to the private sector to boost production against next year,” he said.
“Farmers and other operators need to be given incentives because many already have their businesses wiped out or significantly downsized due to COVID 19,” he added.
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Iyayi further noted that FNS2020 will serve as the platform to unveil the National Agricultural Techno logy and Innovation Plan (NATIP), the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s ( FMARD) new policy direction being spearheaded by Muhammad Sabo Nanono, Minister of Agriculture, FMARD’S private- sector inclusion campaign, the Agriculture Policy Alliance Project ( APAP), a key component of the NATIP, will also form part of key engagement areas at the summit.
In addition, FNS2020 will feature the formal inauguration of the Special Agro-industrial Processing Zones ( SAPZ) Project in Nigeria.
SAPZ is an integrated development initiative designed to concentrate agro-processing activities within areas of high agricultural potential to boost productivity, integrate production, processing and marketing of selected commodities.
SAPZ Project is a Federal Government of Nigeria’s collaborative project with the African Development Bank (AFDB) and is to be executed in partnership with FMARD and other key partners.
While AFDB is supporting the project with $ 500m, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has pledged a $200 million support fund.
With SAPZ set f or take- off in January 2021, FNS2020 will play a key role in laying the foundation for the project’s effective start, Iyayi said.
“Beyond discussion, FNS2020 mus t push for industrialization. Something just has to push us to that next level. FNS2020 could be that something and the time is now.
“If we have State actors and some investors whose buy- in we have already gotten, such must be used to jump- start the SAPZ launching. Something just has to start!” Iyayi said.
The Feed Nigeria Summit over the years has earned its position as a cardinal platform for unparalleled stakeholder engagement targeted at accelerating the country’s race towards self- sufficiency in food production, both for domestic consumption and export purposes.
Hosted on an annual basis by Agronigeria – The Voice of Nigeria’s Agriculture,’ summit has consistently served as a critical tool for positioning the sector as the catalytic economic growth vehicle for Nigeria.
The summit will be held at the Ladi Kwali Conference Centre, Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Abuja.
