As part of efforts to enhance food production and strengthen Nigeria’s agricultural sector, the Federal Government has secured a 12 billion Japanese Yen loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP).
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, in a statement issued at the weekend by the Chief Information Officer, Eremah Anthonia, commended JICA for its swift intervention and reiterated the government’s commitment to leveraging the facility for sustainable agricultural growth.
Kyari outlined that the loan will focus on three key areas: enhancing rice seed quality, improving farm input distribution and extension services, and increasing private sector participation in agricultural input production.
He noted that the rice seed production project, domiciled at the National Cereal Research Institute (NCRI) in Badeggi, Niger State, is crucial in developing high-yield, disease-resistant varieties capable of withstanding climate variability.
He assured that the government, in collaboration with NCRI and the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), will strengthen the seed ecosystem to boost productivity.
Beyond seed quality, he stressed the need for knowledge dissemination, highlighting the Ministry’s collaboration with JICA on the Market-Oriented Agriculture Promotion under the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion (SHEP) project. The initiative, implemented across 14 states, has empowered smallholder farmers by bridging the gap between research and practice.
Kyari further revealed that the Ministry would leverage technology to enhance extension services, using mobile applications to provide real-time information on weather patterns, market prices, and pest outbreaks to help farmers make informed decisions. He emphasized that these interventions are not just policy initiatives but strategic commitments to national food security.
Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Abdullahi Sabi Aliyu, reiterated JICA’s consistent support, stressing that seed quality is central to food security. He referenced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive: “Plant the right seed, then you can feed the entire nation.”
JICA’s Director General for Economic Development, Takao Shimokawa, reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
He confirmed that the first disbursement of the loan had been completed, with supervision and monitoring of fund utilization now underway.
Shimokawa noted that Japan remains committed to rice production in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, which is the continent’s largest producer.
He added that the new grant project would facilitate the procurement of rice production machinery, with the procurement process already set to commence.
