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Following the climatic challenges facing the agricultural sector and the need to reduce greenhouse emissions, the Nigerian Agribusiness Group (NABG) has advocated for the adoption of climate-smart agriculture to mitigate these challenges.
The Director General of NABG Jafar Umar while delivering speech at the Validation of the Climate-Smart Agriculture Framework organised by NABG, said the significance of the framework cannot be overstated, considering the current challenges facing the agricultural sector.
He said as Nigeria strives for increased agricultural productivity and food security, the country is confronted by the harsh realities of climate change, which threatens not only crop yields but also the very fabric of agricultural heritage.
Umar said the Climate Smart Agriculture Framework addresses these challenges head-on and it underscores the imperative to mainstream resilient and regenerative agricultural practices into the national agenda.
“We recognize that the adoption of these practices is not merely an option but a necessity if we are to ensure the sustained productivity of our farms and safeguard the livelihoods of our farmers,” he noted.
Furthermore, the NABG Director General said beyond productivity, the framework places a strong emphasis on environmental stewardship.
“We acknowledge our responsibility under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impact of climate change on our agricultural systems.
“By integrating sustainable practices into our farming methods, we aim to contribute to a healthier environment for all.
“In our commitment to leaving no one behind, the framework places a special focus on building the capacity of our smallholder farmers. These hardworking individuals form the backbone of our agricultural sector, and their success is crucial for the overall prosperity of our nation.
“Recognizing that sustainable change requires sustainable financing, the framework outlines strategies to ensure that financial mechanisms are in place to support the transition towards climate-smart agriculture.
The Chairman Administrative Board of NABG Arc Kabir Ibrahim while speaking with journalist, said whatever is done here will be disseminated to all the farmers in the 774 local governments and the farmers will be taught in their own languages.
“This is a game changer for Nigeria and for the world because in Africa for instance, we have been claiming to be the giant, if we want to remain the giant, when our population increases, we must do precision agriculture because we not only need our population, we need to feed the people of Africa.
“There is a talk now that the African question is very important one because there will be a lot of poverty if care is not taken, so you cannot sleep with your eyes closed in Nigeria here if there is no food in Africa.
“We must pay attention to what is happening, and we must not be denial of climate change. We must be able to do precision agriculture to optimise our productivity so that we have sufficient food, we have food security in Nigeria and Africa”, Arc Ibrahim noted.
A Consultant for the Validation exercise, Obinna Igwebuike also said in driving the environmental agenda, there is need to prioritise productivity improvement, especially for smallholder farmers.
He said in doing that, there is also need to mainstream regenerative and resilient agricultural practices and for that to happen; the capacity of the farmers must be built.
“We need to reduce greenhouse gas emission from agricultural process and obviously position Nigeria as a regional leader because Nigeria has a lot of smallholder farmers,” Igwebuike added.