Minister assures of greater focus/incentives for farmers

The challenge to eradicate hunger from Nigeria and indeed the entire continent of Africa where First Bank has business interests/investments may have prompted the Bank to hold its 3^rd annual Agric. Expo with fanfare in Lagos.

Managing Director/CEO of the Bank, Dr. Adesola Adeduntan disclosed at the Expo that First Bank commenced operations 125 years ago with a major strategic focus on agricultural financing as well as enabling farmers and agrosbusinesses.

According to Dr. Adeduntan, First Bank appreciates the imperative of extensive agric value chain, the significance of the sector as a major contributor to Nigeria’s GDP, Forex earnings, employment generation, import substitution and the ability of agriculture to eradicate hunger and poverty from the continent of Africa and beyond.

In his words “ First Bank has supported state governments on Agricultural Development Trust Fund Scheme, an initiative designed to provide credit to small scale farmers who would otherwise be constrained by lack of collaterals. We have disbursed over N40b under the CBN’s Paddy Aggregation Scheme, PAS. We remain committed to identifying, supporting and providing a suite of Agricultural friendly solutions for the overall development of Agribusinesses across the country”.

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alh. Sabo Nanono, informed participants at the Expo the Federal would not relent in its effort to diversify the economy through Agriculture. While commending first for their efforts in Agric development, he called on the private sector to join hands with the Federal Government to develop Agriculture in the country.

The minister disclosed that one of his agenda as minister is to push for the removal from imports list all items that could be produced locally, ensure greater storage of Agric produce to avoid waste and provide the enabling environment for local farmers to produce more and attract foreign Agric investors to come and invest in Nigeria.

Lagos state commissioner for Agriculture Prince Gbolahan Lawal, revealed that Lagos state has the biggest rice mill in the West African Sub region which should start operating from next year. Prince Gbolahan was emphatic that the Rice Mill will provide thousands of direct and indirect jobs when fully operational.

“I understand the challenges of infrastructure, I know what Lagosians are going though in terms of food sufficiency, I know the issues of Land titles and I am prepared to tackle them professionally to ensure that Agriculture gets a boost in this dispensation” Gbolahan said.

Pastor Akin Olotu, a senior special assistant to the Ondo State governor on Agriculture, decried the neglect and lack of research/findings by Nigerian universities in Agriculture.

Lamenting the dearth of discoveries and developmental inputs from Nigerian institutions, Olotu call on the Federal government to provide funds to universities to carry our ground breaking researches that could improve Agriculture and ensure food for the growing population of, not only Nigeria but the entire world. “We need research that are relevant to our needs”, Akin said.

Bemoaning the influx of palm oil, poultry and other products into the country, Olotu expressed worry on the ability of Nigerians to produce want they eat and eat what they produce and even export.

According to Olotu, “It is unfortunate that countries which have sunlight for about six months in a year are exporting solar powered products/panels to us who have the sun throughout the year. It is lamentable that countries which do not have half of our land mass are exporting food to us for our consumption/patronage. We have had enough of professor this, professor that and doctor this and that, let us get to work and embark on research work that are relevant to our domestic needs. We must embrace technology if we are to move from where we are to where we want to be”

Considering the eminent personalities that graced the Expo and the discussions held, there is high hope that Agriculture may have found its rightful place in governance in Nigeria.