The Managing Director, AgroNigeria, Mr Richard-Mark Mbaram, says agro industrialisation is key to achieving economic transformation, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), food security and improved nutrition.
Mbaram, who is also the Director-General of Feed Nigeria Summit (FNS), said on Tuesday in Lagos that agriculture played a critical role in transforming economies to reach the SDG’s, along with achieving other essential development goals such as ensuring food security and improved nutrition.
He said that under-performing agriculture was stifling the effective functioning of the industrial sector; consequently, this has resulted in a weak linkage between the agricultural and industrial sectors in the face of a myriad of opportunities.
He called for an increased economic momentum through partnerships with the private sector to advance the industrialisation of the agricultural sector.
Nigeria, according to him, has huge potential for agro-allied transformation. This includes hosting a large spectrum of suitable agro-climatic conditions that allows a broad range of agricultural production.
“Using agriculture to power industrialisation calls for a strong public-private sector partnership that would increase small farm holders’ productivity and enhance their contributions to national and regional value chains,” Mbaram said.
He lauded the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Sabo Nanono, for propelling a partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB) to promote on agro-allied industrialisation.
Source: Nigerian Tribune Online
