The federal government has been urged to harness the potential of sorghum to tackle poverty and food insecurity in the country.
Sadiq Daware made the call at the inauguration of newly elected executives of the National Association of Sorghum Producers, Processors, and Marketers of Nigeria, in Abuja.
Mr Daware, the chairman of NASPPAM’s board of trustees, said sorghum was a vital crop that could provide food, income, and employment opportunities for millions of Nigerians.
However, he stated that the lack of integration of the association with government policies and programmes had hindered the realisation of these benefits.
Mr Daware noted that “the best way to go is to make sure that the government during its design of projects and programmes should include the commodity associations.”
According to him, commodity associations are the bedrock of development.
He also called on the government and development partners to work with the association, highlighting the significance of sorghum as a food, medicinal, and livestock feed crop.
Earlier, the newly elected NASPPAM president, Abdulkadir Gaya, pledged to align the association’s activities with President Bola Tinubu-led administration’s goal of improving food production in Nigeria.
Mr Gaya explained that with over two million producers, processors, and marketers of sorghum across the 36 states, the association is well-positioned to impact food security significantly.
Mr Gaya also promised to implement reforms, restructure the association, and conduct state and local government elections to strengthen NASPPAM across the country.
According to him, this move is expected to boost sorghum production, which is already a significant crop in Nigeria.
Nigeria is the largest producer of sorghum in West Africa and the third-largest in the world.
“By leveraging the potential of sorghum, Nigeria can reduce its reliance on imported food products and improve the livelihoods of its farmers and citizens,” Mr Gaya said.