The Minister of agriculture and rural development, Chief Audu Ogbe, said the federal government is committed to revitalizing the agricultural sector of the country in its bid to make it a major GDP earner for the country.
The minister stated this in a key note address presented at the opening of a two-day National Organic Agriculture Business Summit in Abuja.
The minister, who was represented by Isa Adamu, a deputy director in the ministry, disclosed that several efforts are ongoing by many organs of the ministry to ensure enabling atmosphere for actors within the value chain of the agriculture sector to do their business successfully.
While applauding the initiative of NOAN in the projection and repositioning of organic agriculture in the country, the minister expressed the federal government’s commitment, through the ministry of agriculture and rural development to key into the sector in order to harness the great potentials inherent in it to turn the fortune of the country around and put Nigeria on the global map of leading organic agriculture producing nations. He also noted that Nigeria has a great potential in production of cocoa, ginger, sesame, citrus, cotton and other value chain crops which could tap into the world organic agriculture trade.
In his remark, President, National Organic Agriculture of Nigeria,Prof. Victor Idowu Olowe, emphasized the need for Nigerian government to encourage organic agriculture practice as it is proven to be ecological friendly, of high health benefit and a huge source of employment generation. He urged Nigerians to patronize organic agricultural produce and products in order to prevent ailments oftenly associated with the consumption of synthetic grown agricultural produce.
He added that developing organic agriculture will be strategic to federal government’s effort to diversify the economy, ensuring food security, job creation and economic sustainability.
The theme of the summit is Organic Agriculture Business for sustainable National Development.
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