Vice President Kashim Shettima has said that the federal government is working to create about 5 to 10 million jobs in the agricultural sector to tackle food inflation in the country.
Shettima shared this information on Tuesday during a two-day high-level strategic meeting on climate change, food systems and resource mobilization held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The vice president noted that the government will invest in the agricultural sector, making it attractive enough for the teeming youth population in the country.
- “The government will make agriculture attractive for our teeming youth population to create between 5 to 10 million more jobs for them within the agriculture value chain, working with the current 500,000 hectares of arable land and the several hundreds of thousands more farmlands to be developed in the medium term.
- “These efforts are part of the federal government’s bid to actualize the “UN-Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development Goals 2 of “Zero Hunger” and African Union Agenda 2063, which aims to transform Africa into a global powerhouse of the future,” he said.
CBN to continue to fund agricultural value chain
Shettima also revealed that the federal government is working alongside the CBN to finance the agricultural value chain in the country.
In addition, he said the Tinubu administration is also collaborating “with mechanization companies to clear more forests and make them available for farming.”
- “We will deploy concessionary capital to the sector, especially towards fertilizer, processing, mechanization, seeds, chemicals, equipment, feed, and labour, among others. The concessionary funds will ensure food is always available and affordable, thereby having a direct impact on Nigeria’s Human Capital Index (HCI). This administration is focused on ensuring the HCI numbers, which currently rank as the 3rd lowest in the world, are improved for increased productivity,” he added.
More Insights
Also speaking at the event, the National Coordinator of NEPAD, Mrs Gloria Akobundu, praised President Tinubu for his efforts towards making Nigeria a great nation.
Akobundu said NEPAD decided to convene the stakeholders’ forum to strengthen smallholder farmers in Nigeria as a way of addressing the food shortage problem in the country.
- “We are happy with the resolve of the administration of President Bola Tinubu to stand undeterred by any odds in his objective to build a viable, effective and great nation.
- “We have gathered key stakeholders from across Nigeria and all over the world to commence the resource mobilization conversation for smallholder farmers in Nigeria and Africa and emphasize the urgency of action required in the face of the current and growing food crisis,” she added.
