As part of measures to implement the government’s 8-point agenda, the Federal Ministry for Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) is set to collaborate with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to scale innovative technologies for food security in Nigeria.
During a recent meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, Honourable Abubakar Kyari, the Director General of IITA and Regional Director of CGIAR in Africa, Dr. Simeon Ehui, expressed gratitude for the government’s support, stressing that the IITA is aligning its research efforts with national programs to strengthen food security.
He also expressed a desire for these programs to collaborate with IITA.
“I would like for the national programs to be key partners with IITA, leveraging the research innovations to address food insecurity in Nigeria.”
In his welcome address, the Minister stated that the visit came at a time when the Ministry was exploring reliable food system solutions, stressing the need to examine sustainable strategies that would facilitate the initiation of strong and institutionalized policies.
According to him, “With IITA’s extensive agricultural research, the Ministry is ready to collaborate with the Institute to address food insecurity.”
Dr. Ehui urged the Minister to work through IITA to adopt innovations to improve Nigeria’s food systems, adding that IITA is willing to provide support through the various projects and innovations that can be scaled by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS).
Hon. Kyari commended the IITA for its impact on research in Africa. He also emphasized the importance of exploring agriculture as a business in order to attract more investment to the sector.