From Magnus Eze, Abuja
The Federal Government has launched a joint sector steering committee to provide a platform for assessing the performance and results of the agriculture sector.
This will also assist government in setting sector policies and priorities, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Shehu Ahmed, said.
Inaugurating the committee in Abuja, he said, “The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in collaboration with major stakeholders, is charged with the responsibility of developing policy in order to create a conducive environment to stimulate greater private sector participation in agriculture to enable the business side assume its appropriate role as the engine of economic growth.
“The purpose of the policy document is to provide an approach to building an agribusiness ecosystem that will stem the tide of food importation through import substitution so as to earn significant foreign exchange from agriculture.”
Ahmed, represented by the Director of Planning and Policy Co-ordination, Dr. Awul Mai-Dabino, pointed out that it will also assess how well stakeholders implemented pledges and cooperation agreements in the sector.
He added that the objective was consistent with the policy thrust of government on agriculture.
African heads of state and government had during the 23rd Regular Session of the African Union at Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, committed to accelerating agricultural growth and transformation of shared prosperity and improved livelihood.
“This was to ensure mutual accountability for actions and results in the implementation of the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) process over the next 10 years (2015-2025),” the permanent secretary stated.
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