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Tag: Agriculture

  • FG to site specialised agricultural market in Osun

    FG to site specialised agricultural market in Osun

    The Federal Government is to site a specialised agricultural produce and international fish market in Ijebu –Jesa in Oriade Local Government Area of Osun.

    Mr Adedayo Adewole, Osun Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, said this at a meeting of the Project Implementation Committee(PIC) in Osogbo.

    He said the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment, in conjunction with Agricultural Traders Welfare Association (ATWA), would be executing the project in the state.

    According to him, the project is a fallout of the economic and investment summit organised by the state government in November 2019 and targeted at boosting the economy of the state.

    He said apart from the fact that the project upon implementation would boost the economy of Osun, it would also boost the business of fish farmers and marketers in the state and its environs .

    Earlier, the representative of the PIC, Dr Joseph Okeke, thanked the state government for promoting discussion of the economic transformation of the state and Nigeria in general through agriculture and agricultural value chain.

    Okeke, who also doubles as the National President of ATWA, further said that the project was targeted toward economic diversification by the Federal Government in the area of specialised agricultural market.

    According to him, it is also geared toward job creation, enhancing economic activities and facilitating exportation of Nigerian commodities.

    The committee, comprising of the project facilitator, Dr Gabriel Eniola, Osun Fish Farmers Association Chairman, Mr Tope Ogundipe and Osun Commissioner for Lands and Physical Planning, Mr Nathaniel Agunbiade among others later inspected the site.

  • Border closure will trigger interest in Agriculture – Buhari

    Border closure will trigger interest in Agriculture – Buhari

    Nigeria’s border closure will rekindle interest in agriculture and revive the sector, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.

    The President spoke on Monday against the backdrop of the reduction in smuggling, especially rice, following the border closure for two months.

    A statement on Monday in Abuja by his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said President Buhari expressed confidence that the border closure will save the country billions of naira on import bills.

    Receiving a delegation of Katsina State Elders Forum at his home in Daura, the President said the country’s domestic fuel consumption had dropped by more than 30 per cent, following the land border closure.

    President Buhari said he had not given any date for the reopening of the border until the situation improves.

    He lauded the actions taken by Niger Republic President Muhammadou Youssoufou, including the dismissal of officials and a ban on use of the country as a dumping ground for Nigeria-bound smuggled goods.

    Also, over 50 per cent of petrol stations on Nigeria’s land borders belong to foreigners, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said on Monday.

    Mohammed spoke when he led a Federal Government’s high-powered delegation to Jibia border in Katsina State.

    The minister said the decision to close the country’s land borders has yielded positive result for the country’s security.

    Other ministers on his entourage included the Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Mariam Katagum, and the Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clement Agba.

    The minister, who spoke at Magama-Jibia, on the Nigeria/Niger border post in Katsina State, said the border closure had reduced insecurity in the Northwest.

    Mohammed also said the ongoing border drill is neither targeted at any region nor designed to cripple businesses in any part of the country, as insinuated by some conspiracy theorists.

    The minister said the border closure also helped to cut off the supply of bandits and other armed groups in the region.

    Mohammed said Nigeria had experienced a drastic reduction in arm importation, cattle rustling and petroleum products smuggling, among others.

    The minister noted that the country had also recorded about 30 per cent reduction in local consumption of petroleum products, following the banning of supply to border areas.

    He said: “Smuggling of petroleum products out of Nigeria has been greatly reduced. The closure of filling stations on the border is a huge success. There are hundreds of filling stations along the border. We counted many as we drove to the border this morning (yesterday).

    “They were set up purposely for smuggling. They don’t sell the fuel consignment; they deceive the public. Over 50 per cent of them are owned by foreigners. Now, they are closed. We have recorded over 30 per cent reduction in domestic fuel consumption.”

    Reviewing the peculiarities in each of the borders across the country, the minister said the challenges in Sector 4 included fuel smuggling, illegal migration and importation of arms.

    He added that rice from Benin Republic was also smuggled into the country through Niger Republic.

    Mohammed recalled that after relevant officials at the Jibis border post with Niger were briefed, Nigeria had a lot of good news to report.

    The minister also said the drill at the Jibia post had “drastically curtailed the inflow of arms and ammunition”.

    He added: “Bandits and terrorists are finding it hard to procure arms and ammunition; hence, we have recorded a reduction in cases of cattle rustling, kidnapping and armed banditry, which were predominant in the Northwest. These acts have now been significantly reduced.

    “The arms and ammunition being used by violent extremists and criminal elements no longer make their way into the country through the land borders. Of course, this will also have a negative effect on insurgency.”

    Nigeria, he also said, had recorded “over 30 per cent increase in revenue since the drill started”.

    Mohammed said: “…Before the drill, the borders contributed nothing to the revenue. Nothing. The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) was recording about N4.5 billion daily. Since the closure, the figure has increased to between N5 billion to N8 billion daily.

    “As a matter of fact, since the exercise commenced over three months ago, local businesses across the country have continued to thrive. Farmers and rice millers in particular are now having good turnover on investments.”

    The Northwest sector, he said, recorded the highest success in reducing illegal migration, following the drill.

    Mohammed assured stakeholders that Nigeria will continue to engage with neighbouring countries to ensure that all the issues that led to the Exercise Swift Response are fully addressed.

    The minister said the borders were closed to protect the country against transnational security concerns.

    These, he said, include smuggling, proliferation of small arms and light weapons, illegal migration as well as terrorism and armed banditry.

  • Revolutionise Agriculture sector now or endure revolution, Abia Rep tells Buhari

    Revolutionise Agriculture sector now or endure revolution, Abia Rep tells Buhari

    A member of the House of Representatives, Hon Uzoma Nkem Abonta on Wednesday asked President Muhamnadu Buhari to revolutionise the Agricultural sector of Nigeria or he should be ready to endure a revolution of the Nigerian masses.
    The Lawmaker also declared that if the present administration fails to design a comprehensive Agricultural policy now then Nigeria will perpetually remain behind.
    He explained that his own legislative agenda would focus on agriculture and industrialisation to address the economic hardship faced by his constituents.
    Abonta who made this known while addressing newsmen in Abuja, stressed the need to address the high level of unemployment and hunger in the land.
    He further stressed that”the oil sector overtook agriculture as the main stay of the economy, hence coupled with abundant food and cheap labour at the time, Government was caught complacent in the effort to move agriculture from a subsistence level to mechanised large scale farming.
    “My legislative agenda, when I look at the realities of Nigeria, I distilled and agreed that my legislative agenda will fall on agriculture and industrialization to turn around the economy because a lot of the youths are crying.
    “The high level of unemployment and want and hunger is unprecedented therefore, my legislative focus will be on laws that will promote agriculture and laws that will shift us from mono economy to diversification ,” he said.
    Abonta who represents Ukwa East and West Federal Constituency of Abia, gave glory to God for his victory at the Court of Appeal.
    He said that the court will continue to be the hope of the common man and a part of the electoral process.
    “The court is part of the processes, after the election my opponent went to the election Tribunal and went on to the Court of Appeal.
    “To God the be glory it all came to affirm my victory; it is part of the electoral process and it happens to redefine and put things in order.
    “We will still rely on the court as the hope of the common man and I thank God for the victory,” he said.
    The fourth term lawmaker said that efforts were ongoing by the legislature to ensure speedy dispensation of justice by the court.
    According to him, justice delayed is justice denied and so we must put things in place to ensure quick dispensation of Justice.
    “If we don’t get justice delivered on time, then justice delayed is justice denied, we are making efforts legislatively to ensure justice is dispensed speedily and quickly.
    “We need to put a lot things in place legislatively to bring a clear, true and better electoral system, we must do the needful that would be acceptable worldwide,” he said.
    Abonta said that he had extended a hand of friendship to his political opponents, urging them to join hands with him to deliver the dividends of democracy to constituents.
    “At the end of the election, I called all my opponents, I told them that it is not the winner takes it all, come join me, there are certain things you know that I do not know.
    “Come join me let’s move forward, I need to draw powers and support form them to do the needful here, no man is an island, I do not have the monopoly of knowledge.
    “I told them that they there should consider what they are doing as a learning process and should feed me more to represent them better.
    “They also agreed at the town hall meetings that they will do the needful, some wrote me regularly to tell me what they think should be done.
    “We are doing that, we work not minding that one or two went to the tribunal to challenge the victory but it is their right if they think otherwise,” he said.

  • DG NITDA urges Nigerians to embrace modern agriculture with ICT

    Dr Isa Pantami, the Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has urged Nigerians to embrace modern agriculture with the use of Information Communications Technology (ICT) to boost production.
    The DG gave the advice in a statement issued by Dr Amina Sambo-Magaji, the National Coordinator, Office for ICT Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIIE), on Tuesday in Abuja at the third edition of NITDA FutureHack event.
    The programme was held in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State with a focus on e-agriculture to address challenges in the sector.
    According to him, there is need for ‘Innovative Technology’ for addressing local challenges in the agriculture sector in Nigeria for Social and Economic Development.
    “FutureHack is a national technology hackathon event, in which computer programmers collaborate intensively on software projects usually held in academic environments to to inculcate innovation and entrepreneurship culture in students to drive Nigeria’s digital economy.
    “Modern agriculture is expanding globally with digitally enabled agriculture, precision farming, hydroponics, robotics and artificial intelligence.
    “However, technology is an enabler and should be harnessed to revolutionise the agricultural sector in the country.
    “Technology can be used to monitor yield, pest control, best time to add pesticides, plant illness prediction, multi-platform collecting data on crops, soil, nutrients and water to help the farmer in his decision making and more.
    “This revolution has already begun. We have irrigation systems that are controlled by mobile phone and reducing labour cost,’’ Pantami said.
    The DG also explained that agriculture is critical to the economy of country saying “it contributes to the growth of the Gross Domestic Product and employs a large number of the population.”
    According to him, transforming agriculture through technology is a key to reviving the economy and technology can be used for agricultural products market linkages, food safety, to monitor food shipments throughout the whole supply chain.
    “ICT can be used to control the challenges of poor disease, livestock theft, inferior storage facilities and preservation mechanisms for crops, access to market and access to financial support,’’ Pantami said.
    He recalled the establishment of Growth and Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS) that used e-wallet system to enable registered users to receive vouchers on their mobile phones.
    Pantami said the scheme granted farmers access to subsidised seeds and fertiliser, thereby cutting out the middle man, hence benefiting many farmers within the period of establishment.
    He reiterated that the agency was committed to regulating and developing sectors of government by enabling ICT.
    “We have Nigerian ICT startups that are already disrupting the Agri-tech space and NITDA is complementing President Muhammadu Buhari’s economic diversification initiative.
    “We use this platform to stimulate creativity among the teaming and able Nigerian youth both in country and diaspora,” Pantami said.
    A hackathon is usually a day long coding competition where software programmers, developers, designers, etc, come together to build and design innovative things.
    This year, the FutureHack challenge is on leveraging technology to find innovative ideas that will change the narrative of health, agriculture and education in Nigeria.
    The three editions had the North Central which held in Nile University, Abuja recently, North West in ABU Zaria and South West edition expected to hold in OAU, Ile-Ife, Osun state.

  • Nigeria loses $9bn annually on poor agric investment – Minister

    The Federal Government on Sunday said it was losing 9 billion dollars (N3.2 trillion) annually due to poor investment in agriculture before the present administration came to power.

    The Minister of state for Agriculture, Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, disclosed this at Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, (ABUAD) at a reception and lunch in his honour by founder of the university, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN).

    “Before President Buhari came, Nigeria was losing $9 billion revenue earnings annually in agriculture sector.”

    The minister said Nigeria was also losing over 240 metric tonnes of fish production in the world market that could have increased foreign earnings and boosted the economy before the advent of President Muhammadu Buhari’s led administration.

    “In Nigeria, we are not producing enough fish to feed our population, that is why we are relying heavily on importation.

    “The deficit between demand and supply was 2.5 million metric tonnes annually; this is about 320 containers.

    “You can imagine the quantum of revenue we lost to low production in this sector alone,” he said.

    “Knowing that our products were being taken to other West African nations to be processed and rebranded, we introduced certification policy for all our products in order to have right and proper certificates for our products and in order not to affect the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) negatively.

    “When I visited Belgium, the Minister of Agriculture there told me the country’s annual revenue earning in agriculture sector was 35 billion Euros. This is a country with less than five million population.

    “He further told me that the difference between agriculture in Africa and the West is Technology and innovation.

    “That was why the Federal Government in partnership with the world bank, earmarked 250 million dollars to train young graduates in agribusiness.

    “Our universities must pay attention to technology and innovation.

    ” They must emulate what ABUAD is doing in agriculture sector, because I wonder what would happen to us in future if we cannot feed just 180 million population.

    “We are proud to say that ABUAD has become the pride of the nation. It is setting the standard for food security in Nigeria.

    “All these accounted for why President Muhammadu Buhari said we must produce what we eat.

    “He reduced taxes in agriculture to attract investors to Nigeria. We are also taking pragmatic steps to increase productivity in the sector,” the minister said.

    Lokpobiri said that due to government’s laxity in the past, many of the country’s agricultural products were being exported to other West African nations and branded in the names of those countries after processing, making Nigeria to lose huge revenue earnings.

    The minister said a lot had been done by the present administration to rebrand agriculture.

    He urged Nigerian universities to emulate ABUAD’s landmark exploits in farming, describing the university as setting a pace for the country to actualise food security status.

    Lokpobiri expressed fear that the country might witness serious famine in future with the projection that its population might hit 250 million by 2030.

    He warned that it was high time other levels of governments started planning to checkmate such occurrence.

    The minister promised that the Federal Government would partner ABUAD in the area of agriculture and training of young graduates to boost food production.

    He said the 400-bed Afe Babalola University Teaching Hospital had launched the country on the world’s map of medical tourism, describing it as a wasteful effort for Nigerians to be seeking medical treatment abroad with the facilities in the hospital.

    On the ABUAD teaching hospital, Lokpobiri said : “The era when people are seeking medical tourism in Dubai, India and USA is gone.

    “Why must you struggle to get visas again when you have Afe Babalola University Teaching Hospital. The personnel and facilities there are second to none,” he said.

    Babalola, who is currently rated as the biggest farmer in Ekiti and the highest tax paying individual in the state, said he organized the event in appreciation of his contributions to the growth and development of agriculture in the country.

     

  • CBN orders banks to offer loans to agric, manufacturers at nine per cent

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will be refunding Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) to banks that fund projects in agriculture and manufacturing sectors, its Director of Banking Supervision, Abdullahi Ahmad, has said.

    Speaking on Thursday at the end of the Bankers’ Committee meeting in Lagos, Ahmad said the outlook for the economy in 2018 is much better than 2017. The CRR is a portion of banks’ deposits kept with the CBN.

    He said the CBN has been very supportive to banks adding that banks should be able to lend to companies that are doing new capital expenditures and expansions to factories using some of their Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) at nine per cent. These, he added, are not short term loans but long term loans of seven year loans, two year moratorium on principal.

    “It would probably be the first time in the history of this country where manufacturers would be able to take fixed interest rate loans for seven years which means they would be able to plan. The volatility that they fear for all kinds of risks would be taken out and I think these are very laudable steps in improving and growing the economy,” Ahmad said.

    For him, the idea is to have job creating activities in the economy and also to bring interest rate down. Although agriculture and manufacturing are the initial sectors that are being considered, later on or now, a bank can apply if there is a job creating sector that bank is operating in, it may be considered.

    “We can refund the CRR of a bank that has engaged in lending in a new project or an existing one in the agriculture or manufacturing sector as a way of utilising the CRR. So, anytime a bank lends to manufacturing or agric at the rate the CBN has prescribed, it would have its CRR refunded up to the amount it has lend. The guidelines are coming up any moment from now and once they do it take off,” he said.

    Also speaking, Executive Director, Finance at First City Monument Bank (FCMB) Mrs. Yemisi Edun, said the CRR that is taken from banks would be positively deployed to grow the real sector as well as the agriculture sector in the economy. “This is very positive for the economy and also positive for banks because we would be able to access these funds and earn on it. And because it would be coming at single digit rate, it would be positive for the economy,” she said.

    “For now, it would be channeled to agricultural sector and manufacturing but it for growth expansions enhance creation of jobs. the focus it ensure the economy grow now that we have achieved stability we need to now see a positive trend of growth and that is what we are committed to do at this time,” she said.

    “We have seen stability in the exchange rate being sustained, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth higher than 2017 and although there are capital reversals in our capital market, it is a little bit bearish but the fact is that capital outflow in the Nigerian economy is far less compared to many emerging economies is a sign there is high confidence in the Nigeria economy,” Ahmad said.

     

  • Agriculture pulled Nigeria out of recession – Envoys

    African and European diplomats on Wednesday lauded Nigeria’s agriculture sector for its role in pulling the country out of recession.

    They gave their commendations at the ongoing 4th International Agro-Food Fair, taking place in Lagos.

    According to Ibi Ikpoki, representing the EU trade delegation, the Nigeria agriculture sector played a huge role in the country’s exit from recession.

    “The Nigerian agricultural sector has also played a crucial role in job creation, women and youth empowerment and contributed immensely to poverty alleviation.

    “Therefore, I am delighted today that agriculture in Nigeria is gradually evolving from being seen as a mere activity to a business, moving primary production to value addition.

    “This is why this annual exhibition continues to be relevant for the development of the agri-business and packaging sectors among others.”

    Mr Ikpoki also congratulated the Nigerian government for the improvement in the ease of doing business in the country.

    Citing figures from the EU Trade Desk, he said that total EU trade in Nigeria increased by 27 per cent from 19.9 billion Euros in 2016 to 25.3 billion Euros in 2017.

    “This trade increase mirrors the improvements in Nigeria’s external trade as a country that exited recession in 2017.

    “Permit me to use this opportunity to congratulate the Nigerian authorities for some notable feats experienced in 2017, including the improvement in ease of doing business.

    “On ranking, we saw Nigeria jump 24 places from 169 to 145 and also emerged one of the topmost improved 10 countries.

    Ikpoki also spoke on the EU’s increasing investments in Nigeria, in spite of the bureaucratic bottlenecks in doing business in the West African country.

    The Netherlands Ambassador to Nigeria, Robert Petri, said also that the innovation Dutch companies were exhibiting at the fair would help boost agriculture processes in Nigeria.

    “The Netherlands has innovative solutions for agriculture and for tackling high population growth and climate change such as in Nigeria.

    Also speaking, the French Consul, Laurent Polonceaux, said his country’s partnership with Nigeria on agriculture had resulted in the participation of 50 French companies at the fair.

    The Commercial Counsellor to the Austrian Embassy in Nigeria, Nella Hengstler, commended the organisers of the fair, noting that Africa was the new hub for Agro-food fairs.

    “So, despite the visa wahala (challenge) and all the travel issues, I think it makes sense to come here and exhibit our products in Africa.”

    Similarly, the Acting High Commissioner of South Africa to Nigeria, Bobby Moroe, said that the fair offered great opportunities to Africa and Nigeria.

    “It’s a great opportunity for Africa and Nigeria. You realise the statement made by the president that Nigeria will not have oil forever.

    The Agro-food fair is being held for the fourth time in Nigeria with countries like China, Turkey and some Nigerian agriculture entrepreneurs exhibiting their produce at the fair.

     

  • Make agriculture your new oil, Bill Gates advises FG

    World-renowned philanthropist, Bill Gates has advised the Nigerian government to treat agriculture as its newly found oil to bring about development to all spheres of the country.

    Gates gave this advice at the special session of the National Economic Council meeting focused on human capital development held Thursday at the Banquet hall, Presidential villa, Abuja.

    Present at the meeting were the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, who is the chairman of NEC, some governors, ministers, CBN governor, Aliko Dangote, Bill Gates and other development partners.

    Gates in his speech said the government should shift attention from oil and improve the agricultural sector to becoming the pillar of Nigerian’s economy.

    According to him, only four per cent of Nigerian farmers currently have loans to grow their business and this is unacceptable especially in a country where the sector accounted for a large proportion of the country’s GDP, and during the oil price collapse and recession, helped cushion the economy.

    He, however, lamented that the sector is not growing as it ought to and many small scale farmers still lack access to loans that can assist with the expansion of their businesses.

    Gates said the sector still has a lot of potential to grow but pointed out that what is hindering the growth is that majority of Nigerian smallholder farmers lack access to the seeds, fertilizer and training they need to be more productive.

    “… Healthy people need opportunities to thrive and one of the most important of these opportunities is agriculture, the sector that nourishes Nigerians and supports half the population especially the poorest,” he said.

    He noted that the lack of access to finance is one of the barriers that continues to prevent smallholders from thriving.

    “Where three quarters of people have mobile phones, digital financial services can offer the potential to boost the economy from top to bottom. Right now more than 50 million Nigerian adults are at the whim of chance and the informal economy. With access to digital financial tools, they can cope better with disaster that threatens to wipe them out, build assets and a credit history and gradually lift themselves out of poverty,” he said.

    He, however, urged the government to consider the impact this would have on businesses.

    He said of the 37 million micro, small and medium enterprises in Nigeria, more than 99 per cent are micro and their lack of access to finance is a leading reason why their businesses cannot grow.

    He said estimates reveals that digital financial services will create a 12.4 per cent increase in Nigeria’s GDP by 2025. Meanwhile, oil accounts for about 10 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP.

    “Imagine adding another oil sector and then some of the economy, but one whose benefit spread far and wide and would reach almost every single Nigerian. There is another benefit to digital financial services that will make everything I’m urging you to do much easier. It will vastly improve the government’s ability to tax and spend efficiently.”

    He commended the government for “some effort to fill these gaps”, with more investment and series of smart policies to encourage private sector investment.

    He urged the government to do more because “these reforms lay the foundation for a booming agricultural sector that feeds the country, helps end chronic malnutrition and lift up tens of millions of smallholder farmers”.

    The Vice President, in his remark said not only is the government aware of these issues raised, but it is prepared to take the challenges outlined head-on.

    Osinbajo said the government in 2016 launched a Social Investment Programme comprising a job scheme for unemployed graduates, a feeding programme for public primary schools, a micro-credit scheme for small businesses and a cash transfer scheme for the poorest and most vulnerable households.

    Highlighting the successes of some of the programmes, Mr. Osinbajo said the school feeding programme currently serves over 7 million school children across 22 states.

    “There are important educational and economic benefits in guaranteeing one hot meal a day to these children, it has pushed school enrollment rate upwards in many communities where it is being implemented, Osinbajo explained.

     

  • Agriculture created six million jobs in two years – Ogbeh

    The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said on Monday that agriculture sector created six million jobs in the in the last two years.

    Ogbeh said this while analysing the achievements of his ministry and 2018 targets of the ministry at a strategy retreat in Abuja.

    The minister was reacting to reports that over four million jobs had been lost in over two years of President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government.

    He explained that the six million jobs were created both on and off farms as a result of the huge increase in local rice production.

    According to him, our agriculture is heavily manual and to be able to reduce rice importation by 95 per cent, at least six million extra jobs have happened in the farm.

    “There are about 12.2 million members of the Rice Growers Association; we have created more jobs than we have lost,’’ he said.

    The minister said the country earned $31m from the sale of purple hibiscus popularly known as zobo leaves in the last one year and that the demand was still increasing.

    “We are exporting more than we are importing now and most exportation is agro-products.

    “We are growing in agriculture and from the middle of this year; whoever chooses to eat Thailand rice is welcomed to pay duties.

    “We shall impose duties on it because we consider it a wasteful luxury and something this country can’t afford,’’ he said.

    Ogbeh said the Federal Government would also engage in establishing both cashew and cocoa plantations to boost production and export in 2018.

    He said that plans are underway to make the country leading producers of cashew nuts.

    The minister said that fertiliser blending would also be improved to accommodate micronutrients in the product.

    Ogbeh said the government would also work to ensure quality control of produce both for export and local consumption.

     

    NAN

  • Adesina formally receives 2017 WFP award, pledges to spend $250,000 prize money on agriculture

    President of African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina on Thursday formally received the 2017 World Food Prize (WFP) Laureate award in the United States.

    Adesina was conferred with the laureate in Des Moines, U. S. during which he committed the 250,000 dollars cash prize to set up a fund for financing African youths in agriculture.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Adesina was announced as winner of the global feat by the WFP for his dogged determination and practical commitment to boosting agriculture and food supply chain both as Minister of Agriculture and President of AfDB.

    Adesina, a former Minister of Agriculture under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan commended his staff for the shared passion to feed Africa.

    He also expressed gratitude to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo for nominating him as minister.

    Adesina also thanked former President Goodluck Jonathan for giving him the opportunity of his life to serve his country, Nigeria, as a minister.

    He also thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for his strong support to achieve the feat.

    “There wouldn’t be any rest for me until Africa feeds itself and for that we need the youth.

    “And so even though I don’t have the cash in my hand, I hereby commit my 250,000 dollars as a cash prize for the WFP award to set up a fund fully dedicated to providing financing for the youth of Africa in agriculture to feed Africa.

    “A day is coming very soon when the barns of Africa will be filled and all her children will be well fed, when millions of farmers will be able to send their kids to school.

    “Then you will hear a new song across Africa; thank God our lives are better for us,’’Adesina said.

    The Governor of Iowa, Kim Reynolds, who officially declared Adesina as the 2017 laureate winner of the WFP, said he was a man who grew out of poverty to create wealth.

    Reynolds said that the laureate commitment and dedication in agriculture had impacted on lives of many, not only in Africa but around the world.