By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has set up a technical committee to expand year-round farming and increase the production of wheat and other staple crops as part of efforts to strengthen food security and address challenges affecting agricultural output.
The committee was constituted by Vice President Kashim Shettima on Tuesday during a high-level meeting on agricultural sector performance and strategic interventions at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
It is expected to develop a blueprint for implementing agricultural interventions, with emphasis on improving production, expanding dry-season farming, developing livestock and strengthening coordination among federal, state and local governments.
The development was disclosed in a statement by Mr Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President.
According to the statement, Mr Shettima charged members of the committee to combine their expertise and develop a clear framework for implementing the proposed interventions.
“Senator Shettima charged members of the committee to cross-pollinate ideas and come up with a blueprint on implementing strategic interventions in the agricultural sector,” the statement said.
The initiative follows an engagement with President Bola Tinubu the previous week involving stakeholders in agriculture and other sectors, during which challenges affecting agricultural production and possible solutions were discussed.
On his part, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Abubakar Kyari, said the meeting examined constraints confronting farmers, including the need to expand wheat production and dry-season farming to support agricultural activities throughout the year.
Mr Kyari said the President had directed Shettima to identify and address existing challenges in the sector, particularly those affecting year-round farming.
“Mr President had always encouraged year-round farming, and we’re looking at coordination between all sectors and also including subnationals, states, and local governments,” the minister said.
He explained that the technical committee would coordinate the contributions of relevant ministries, departments and agencies and develop recommendations for consideration by the government.
“It is a technical committee with members from the various MDAs to sit and coordinate on behalf of all, and come up with its resolutions in execution,” Mr Kyari said.
He added that the committee’s report would be reviewed by another committee before being submitted to the Vice President and subsequently to the President.
The committee comprises representatives of the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Food Security, Water Resources and Sanitation, and Livestock Development, alongside institutions responsible for agricultural financing, research, mechanisation and production.
Other members include the Bank of Industry (BOI), Bank of Agriculture (BOA), National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF), National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM), National Sugar Council of Nigeria (NSCN), Nigeria Commodities Exchange and National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI).
The committee will be coordinated by Mr Marion Moon, Technical Adviser to the Vice President on Agriculture and Head of the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit.
Mr Moon called for stronger coordination among the three tiers of government, noting that agricultural development required federal interventions to align with programmes and activities at the state and local government levels.
“So, as we think about what we’re doing — what we should prioritise — it is very important to ensure that we are in harmony and synergy with what is happening at the state level,” she said.
The proposed expansion of year-round farming is intended to improve the consistency of agricultural production by addressing constraints affecting dry-season cultivation and coordinating support across relevant institutions.
The effectiveness of the initiative will depend on the committee’s recommendations, their implementation and the ability of the different tiers of government to address the challenges limiting farmers’ productivity.
