Niger State Governor, Farmer Mohammed Umaru Bago has said that the State has attracted over a billion dollar investments in Agricultural mechanization and technology.
The Farmer Governor stated this when he visited the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari at his office in Abuja.
Farmer Governor Umaru Bago explained that the efforts have made Niger State the lead State in Agriculture.
He said the State has also invested so much to boost irrigation farming as irrigation pumps have been procured, and would soon be distributed to farmers for irrigation farming to boost National policy on food security.
The Farmer Governor explained that his visit was to further demonstrate the commitment of the State government to supporting President Tinunu’s agricultural agenda, pointing out that the State has already offered itself as a pilot state for Agricultural development in the country.
He said Agriculture is the way to go as it creates employment, promotes foreign exchange and also ensures food sufficiency, adding that Niger State is blessed with natural resources, hence it has no reason to be poor.
Earlier, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari highlighted several Agricultural intervention programmes of the Tinubu administration in line with his renewed hope agenda for food security and related matters.
He noted that the Ministry has consistently
canvassed partnerships between the federal and state governments with the belief that the collaborations would produce the desired result of food security and its attendant value chain benefits.
The Minister applauded the Farmer Governor for offering the State Agricultural pilot programmes and for his numerous efforts in developing the Agricultural sector in Niger State, which he said has placed the State in an enviable position for the renewed hope agenda for food security.
While assuring that the President will continue to support multifaceted interventions towards agricultural development at the subnational levels, he however observed that additional effort is needed in increasing the number of extension agents available in States while prioritising the capacity and well-being of the existing ones to boost food production, reduce food price inflation and enhance the welfare of farmers and overall productivity
Also in his response, the Minister of State, Agriculture and Food Security, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi who expressed delight with the visit of the Farmer Governor, said the President has shown tremendous political will to move Agriculture to greater heights and the Ministry will work tirelessly to ensure that all the lofty Agricultural ideas are translated to food sufficiency and security.
The Minister of State, Agriculture and Food Security advocated the need for the Ministry to have a platform for States where they can have peer review, and share ideas that would be of benefits to them in terms of Agriculture.
