Home News‘Embrace Innovative Financing Models, Technology-led Approaches to Unlock Agricultural, Livestock Potential’- Maiha Urges African Nations 

‘Embrace Innovative Financing Models, Technology-led Approaches to Unlock Agricultural, Livestock Potential’- Maiha Urges African Nations 

by AgroNigeria

The Honourable Minister of Livestock Development, Hon. Idi Mukhtar Maiha, has urged African nations to embrace innovative financing models and technology-led approaches to unlock the continent’s agricultural potential, describing agriculture as “Africa’s next frontier of prosperity.”

Speaking at the Africa Agriculture Dialogue (AAD) in Abuja, themed “Unlocking Finance for Agricultural Transformation in Africa,” Maiha said the creation of the Livestock Development Ministry under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signals a strategic commitment to reviving a sector long overlooked despite its vast promise.

He said: “It is a definite statement of Mr. President to get us to have a laser focus on the livestock sector because the potentials are inestimable,” he said. 

“We have for a very, very long time neglected this sector, yet countries that are far less endowed than Nigeria have achieved wonderful results in food security and access to global markets.”

The Minister noted that agriculture, particularly livestock, holds the key to reducing poverty and ensuring food sufficiency across the continent. 

He added that Nigeria’s current administration is determined to provide the enabling environment for financial institutions and investors to thrive.

“This is Africa’s time. We will not only feed ourselves but feed the world. Africa for Africans. Africa must feed itself. 

“We have the youth, we have the resources, and we have the market. What remains is coordinated effort and adequate financing,” he declared. 

Maiha also cited global examples to drive home his point, noting that with the right systems in place, Nigeria could surpass some of the world’s top agricultural producers.

“Denmark, with a population of just six million, produces food for nearly 50 million people.

“There is no reason why Nigeria cannot do that,” he said. 

According to him, the government’s ongoing collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and other partners is aimed at ensuring that finance no longer remains a barrier for players in the agricultural value chain.

“The AfDB has demonstrated its commitment and capability to inject the required finances to unlock the agricultural and livestock sectors.

“Nobody is too small in this journey, from the honey bee to the rabbit, to the cattle, goats, camels, and horses. Everything has a place in building Africa’s food system.”

On his part, Mr. Tajudeen Yahaya, Chief Executive Officer of Extension Africa, called for a stronger link between innovation, finance, and last-mile farmers through digital technology and extension services.

Yahaya described the current gap in agricultural extension delivery as a major obstacle to scaling agricultural development across Africa.

His words: “The biggest problem is who takes knowledge back to the farmer.

“Our focus at Extension Africa is to build a framework that allows innovation to scale to the last mile.”

He revealed that one extension agent currently serves as many as 10,000 farmers, a ratio he described as “unsustainable if Africa wants to feed itself.”

“Can we build an Africa where we can easily search and deploy extension agents without rebuilding structures all over again? That is our vision,” Yahaya affirmed.

Through digital platforms such as the Africa Extension Academy and PharmaX, Yahaya said the organization aims to empower 75,000 extension agents by 2030, reaching at least 50 million farmers across Nigeria and Kenya.

“We are young people with bold ideas, but we can’t do it alone…We need your support and partnership to build a smarter, connected agricultural landscape in Africa,” he submitted.

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