Read in
In an effort to ensure food security and sufficiency, a Niger State delegation led by the Special Adviser on Social Investment Program, Hauwa Bako, visited Soilless Farm Labs in Ogun State. The visit aims to facilitate the successful implementation of agricultural policies in Niger State, North Central Nigeria.
In a statement, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Digital Media and Strategy, Abdullberqy Usman Ebbo, said the team of Commissioners and Special Advisers from the Niger State Government was in Ogun State over the weekend as part of the government’s strategy to boost agriculture in the state.
Ebbo further stated that the visit is part of Niger State’s strategy to become one of Nigeria’s leading agricultural hubs by exploring innovative practices such as soilless farming. This approach is expected to advance the state’s goal of achieving food security.
During the visit, the delegation inspected state-of-the-art facilities, met with training participants, and held productive discussions with partners involved in the Enterprise for Youth in Agriculture through Technology-enabled Vegetable Production (EYIA) Project.
The team also paid a courtesy visit to former President Olusegun Obasanjo at his residence in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. During the visit, Obasanjo praised Governor Mohammed Umar Bago for his agricultural revolution policy aimed at achieving food security in Nigeria.
Obasanjo said, “Until Nigeria begins to feed itself, the challenges facing the country will persist. A nation that cannot feed itself is sitting on a time bomb.”
He reiterated the importance of agricultural transformation for self-sufficiency in Nigeria.
He further advised other state governors to emulate Niger State’s leadership in agricultural development to ensure the country can feed its population and eventually export food to boost its GDP. He also encouraged the Niger State Government to sustain its investment in agriculture.
The delegation included the Commissioners of Agriculture, Environment, Power and Energy, and MSME, as well as Special Advisers on the Social Investment Program, Environment, Climate Change, and Print Media.