The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has inaugurated the Implementation Technical Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, along with the National Agro-Allied Commodities Cooperatives of Nigeria, aimed at enhancing the agricultural value chain, promoting corporate partnerships, boosting economic growth, and generating opportunities for farmers across the country.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Kyari, represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi,affirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for agribusiness MSMEs.
This support will cover the entire agriculture ecosystem, including production, processing, packaging, marketing, and distribution, to help these enterprises reach their full potential.
Kyari stated that the Ministry is dedicated to strengthening agricultural value chains to unlock greater benefits for farmers, with particular attention to areas where Nigeria holds a competitive advantage.
He explained that this would be achieved through targeted interventions across various commodity value chains and the development of rural infrastructure to boost food production.
The Minister further highlighted the anticipated outcomes of these efforts, including higher incomes for farmers, expanded trade and investment opportunities both locally and internationally, increased foreign exchange earnings, job creation, and a reduction in poverty levels.
Underscoring the importance of small-scale producers, Kyari described them as the economic backbone of any nation.
He stressed that without the contributions of micro, small, and medium-scale producers, there would be no agricultural output to present, concluding that, “No Agribusiness MSMEs means no nation.”
In his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ogunbiyi, represented by the Director of the Department of Agribusiness and Market Development, Iwara Bassey—stated that the committee’s objectives are in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the agricultural sector, which prioritises food security and economic advancement.
Speaking on behalf of the committee, Julius Akam thanked the Ministry for convening key stakeholders for this national assignment and assured that the committee would work diligently to deliver on its mandate.
