The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has underscored the crucial role of the private sector in advancing agricultural development in Nigeria.
He made this statement at the Stanbic IBTC Breakfast Summit held in Abuja on Thursday.
Kyari highlighted the importance of the summit, themed “Driving Economic Transformation through Agro-processing: Building a Sustainable Future.”
He noted that the theme aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency on food security and the Renewed Hope Agenda, which is aimed at promoting an agricultural renovation.
“It is encouraging that agriculture is becoming a key focus across trade and investment circles, particularly in light of the persistently declining oil prices,” Kyari stated.
He called for increased collaboration between the private and public sectors, urging stakeholders to leverage appropriate technology and innovation in agro-processing to enhance the value addition to agricultural produce.
The minister outlined the government’s commitment to fostering a vibrant agribusiness sector.
“Agriculture must be seen as a business and a haven for investment,” he asserted, emphasising the need to integrate food production, storage, processing, and industrial manufacturing to strengthen the agricultural commodity value chain.
Kyari also stressed the importance of the private sector taking a leading role in agriculture, stating, “The current agricultural policy is for the private sector to be in the driver’s seat, while the government provides an enabling environment.”
He encouraged stakeholders to work towards increasing value addition in agriculture and reducing post-harvest losses in order to achieve food security and wealth creation.
