Geoffrey Van Leeuwen, Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands, has urged Nigerians to embrace high-tech agriculture to achieve food security and self-sufficiency.
The minister made this statement on Monday during his visit to Abuja for a Youth in Agribusiness training session, sponsored by the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture in collaboration with Golden Finger Green Skill Academy.
High-tech agriculture involves employing the latest technologies in performing agricultural operations. Speaking with journalists, Leeuwen shared that the Netherlands, with a population of just 80 million, became the world’s second-largest exporter of agricultural products through high-tech methods. Therefore, Nigeria, with its population of over 200 million, has the potential to achieve even greater success in this regard.
Addressing the youth, Leeuwen stated, “You are the future of Nigeria. In the Netherlands, agriculture is one of the major driving forces of our economy. It is not just agriculture; we have technology and science to mitigate the challenges of agricultural production in the future. For us, it is not just the traditional farming that we are thinking about. Farming means business, making money, technology, and exporting to make money. High-tech agriculture is something the Netherlands is very proud of. We are the number two agricultural products exporter in the world. With high-tech farming, you can imagine what Nigeria can do for the world. With your population, young people, and knowledge, your future should be high-tech farming.”
He also emphasized that the major objective of the farming training is to enhance food security and expressed confidence that with a robust educational system, Nigeria can achieve self-sufficiency in agriculture.
“The whole goal of this farming training is on food security, and I think with the education system behind it, Nigeria can be self-sufficient in agriculture. We are helping with education, scientific operations, and company support. If you set up a high-tech farming industry, you can supply food not just to Nigeria but to the world in the future.”
