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Tinubu: We've initiated programmes to support farmers

President Bola Tinubu said his administration has come up with programmes such as National Agriculture Growth Scheme-Agro-pocket where millions of farmers are supported through training on Good Agricultural Practices, certified inputs such as improved seeds, organic, inorganic fertilisers and irrigation equipment at highly subsidised prices to enhance food and boost farmers' income.

According to The Nation reports, Tinubu spoke on Monday in Abuja at the opening ceremony of the sixth Africa-Wide Agricultural Extension Week.

Represented by the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu  Abdullahi, the president said the aim is to make agriculture market oriented and move away from the subsistence farming practiced by smallholder farmers.

He said the government is seeking to restructure the economy from unnecessary borrowing to finance government programme activities as well as create jobs, achieve economic growth, “prosperity for all,” and end poverty.

While noting that the agricultural extension plays a critical role in bringing relevant and improved technologies developed by National Agricultural Research Institutions (NARIs), inputs suppliers and marketers to farmers, he stated that the ministry has put together the first ever Harmonized Extension Manual in Nigeria and National Agricultural Extension Policy.

The Manual, he said, focuses on how to effectively disseminate and deploy agricultural innovations and technologies to end-users using appropriate extension methods.

He added that the manual will be of great benefit to extension administrators, subject matter specialists, extension agents as well as farmers along the agricultural value chains.

"Our resolve is to develop the agricultural sector towards the attainment of the objectives of SDGs especially those of zero hunger and to improve agriculture and rural productivity. Nigeria's current plan is to achieve self-sufficiency in food production and reduce dependency on food imports.

"The National Extension Agricultural Extension Policy seeks to provide a pragmatic, effective and efficient demand driven pluralistic, ICT-enabled and market oriented extension service to all stakeholders including youths, women, and people with special needs to optimally use resources to promote sustainable agriculture and socio-economic development of the country.

"The present Federal Government recognised the huge potentials of agriculture as a key sector in driving the nation's economy and as a tool to fight unemployment, hunger and poverty.

"It is against this background that the present administration is pursuing  a 8-point agenda which include food security; poverty eradication; growth, job creation and access to capital amongst others," he said.