Stakeholders at the 46th conference of the National Council on Agricultural and Food Security (NCAFS) have called for incentives to researchers, farmers and processors.
Held at the Calabar International Convention Centre, the meeting, themed ‘Resilience to Climate Change Towards Sustainable Food Security,’ attracted participants from across Nigeria to engage in meaningful dialogue, enhance the issues discussed, and provide practical recommendations to help the Council make informed decisions for the agricultural sector’s economic impact.
In his opening remarks, Permanent Secretary, Temitope Fashedemi highlighted that the agricultural sector remains essential for the nation’s economic recovery, stabilisation and growth.
He further said: “At this gathering, we must objectively explore the best ways to maintain food security, generate employment, and create wealth. This involves assessing the effectiveness of ongoing initiatives and refining strategies for a significant economic impact.”
He stressed the importance of sustaining the commodity value chain, enhancing sector linkages, promoting import substitution initiatives, and fostering value-added processing and export-oriented activities.
Fashedemi underlined the need for ongoing collaboration on agribusiness initiatives by providing incentives to researchers, farmers, and processors to boost agricultural output and meet national needs, thereby encouraging greater investment in agriculture and creating jobs.
Earlier, Cross River State Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Johnson Ebokpo, emphasized the importance of addressing the pressing global challenge of climate change and forming a collective commitment to develop resilience against its effects.
He remarked, “Food security is central to the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and underpins the policies of state governments, particularly the people’s first agenda of our visionary Governor of Cross River State, Senator Bassey Edet Otu.”
As discussions continued on the theme, Ebokpo urged participants to engage in constructive dialogue, share best practices, and work together towards sustainable solutions for food production amid climate change challenges.
The event also featured goodwill messages from various stakeholders, including ActionAid, the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
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