To combat food insecurity in Nigeria and the larger sub-Saharan African region, Vice President Kashim Shettima announced a partnership between the Federal Government, the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and the World Bank.
The high-level discussion brought together participants from the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), emphasising the vital need for new approaches to increasing agricultural output.
Speaking at the meeting, Vice President Shettima noted the IITA’s critical role is in promoting smart agriculture, climate-resilient farming, and the development of better seedlings to increase crop yields.
“The IITA is in a vantage position to assist not just Nigeria but sub-Saharan Africa towards repositioning the agriculture ecosystem through smart agriculture, climate-resilient agriculture, and improved seedlings,” he said.
The vice president pointed out the complex relationship between the economy and the environment, which is compounded by desertification, climate change, and security issues in the Sahel region.
“In the food basket of the nation, there is an incestuous relationship between economy and ecology because of desertification and climate change. The productivity of our agriculture is poor and is compounded by insecurity, which might not be unconnected with the challenges in the Sahel,” he further explained.
The vice president emphasised the significance of treating agriculture like a business, calling for increased collaboration with the IITA and encouraging investments in high-quality maize and root crop seeds, notably cassava. He welcomed the broad use of IITA’s enhanced cassava seedlings in the southwest and encouraged similar efforts throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Director General of the IITA, Dr. Simeon Ehui, thanked the Vice President for his leadership and dedication to agricultural development. He explained that the IITA delegation was in Abuja for a strategic discussion to examine partnerships, collaborations, and stakeholder engagements to assist the federal government’s food security initiatives.
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