President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has assured that his administration has embarked on bold policy and institutional reforms aimed at adding 20 million metric ones of food to domestic supply and creating at least 3.5m new jobs in agriculture and allied industries by 2015.
Speaking on Tuesday in Geneva, Switzerland at the formal opening of a meeting with members of the Eminent Persons Group on the Transformation of Nigeria’s Agricultural Sector, Jonathan deisclosed that the present administration’s objective is to build on Nigeria’s tremendous natural resources, reverse the decline in the agricultural sector’s productivity following the discovery of oil, establish domestic self-sufficiency in food and make the country a major net exporter of food.
“Such a shift will not only reduce the billions of dollars we spend importing basic food items, but will also create millions of jobs, especially for our youth,” he said.
“This shift will also drive agricultural industrialization as more agro-allied enterprises are established to process and add value to local foods for domestic and international markets.
“Government will continue to support public-private sector partnerships that reduce the costs of doing business in Nigeria, especially by providing critical infrastructure such as power, water and roads. This is why my government is developing Staple Crop Processing Zones as new framework for attracting the private sector into areas of high food production, to process and add value to all commodities produced in Nigeria.
“We also recognise the need to accelerate investments in research and development, and take advantage of modern technologies, including bio-technology and ICT technologies that will expand possibilities for our farmers.”
The president declared that the initiative to transform Nigeria’s agricultural sector through the private sector is already paying off with new private sector investments worth about $8bn now committed to agriculture.
Thanking members of the Eminent Persons Group for their support, President Jonathan said that their contributions to the positive transformation of the country’s agricultural sector will not only help to achieve food security for the nation, but will also help to enhance national security by helping to create more new jobs to take millions of unemployed youth off the streets and into productive employment.
Those present at the meeting include former Secretary-General of the United Nations and current Chairperson of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa, Dr. Kofi Annan; President of the African Development Bank, Mr. Donald Kaberuka; President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, Dr. Kanayo Nwanze; Chairman of the Del Monte Fresh Produce Inc., Mr, Mohammed Al-Ghazaleh; Mr. Pierre Vandebeeck and Mr. Ides De Willbois.
Others are Mr. Jeff Raikes, Mr. Andrew Jeffries; Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Adewunmi Adesina; Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga and some chief executive officers of global corporations and Nigerian companies.
The newly formed group is expected to advise President Jonathan on actions to ensure the achievement of the transformation of the country’s agricultural sector as well as provide a global platform for encouraging investments in the sector.
