Agric. Ministry Seeks Private Sector Initiative To Complement Govt’s Effort

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News Investigators/ The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mua’zu Abdulkadir, has urged private sector investors to complement government’s effort to take agriculture to greater heights.

Mr. Abdulkadir, who was represented by Karima Babangida, a Director with the ministry, said this at the Oil Palm Estate Partnership Investment Initiative (OPESIDI) Special Stakeholders Meeting in Abuja.

According to him, private sector investors’ initiative is a leap in the right direction.

“This is a very laudable thing and having the right drivers on seat here with you, is a very welcome development and I commend you for taking that initiative.

“When I see organisations independently taking a leap in the right direction and then coming to government to tell government; this is what we have done or this is what we are doing or we want to do, that is very welcome.

“And of course, we are going to support you because we have a lot of requests for land clearing and even government cannot meet up with those requests.

“So, it is good that we have private sector investors to complement what the government is doing,” he said.

Mr. Abdukadir further reassured stakeholders of the commitment of the ministry to move agriculture forward in Nigeria.

The President, Stocks and Minas Agricultural Advocacy Network Africa (SMAANA), Idoko Joseph, said the meeting aims to enhance and support a workable collaboration towards sustainable bush clearing and mechanisation value chains.

Mr. Joseph, who is also the author of OPESIDI Model, reiterated that the initiative will aid sustainable agricultural production in tree crops through a flexible and mutual benefit partnership initiative.

“The Oil Palm Estate Partnership Investment Development (OPESIDI) is both a tree crop expansion model and an agribusiness investment platform.

“It uses crowd funds as a mechanism for collateral source of funding for long term agribusiness on behalf of the investors.

“OPESIDI Model enhances and supports continuous and sustainable palm in Nigeria through various partnership initiative framework, and sustainable value chains.

“Thereby creating alternative risk-mitigating measures to protect each value chain players or stakeholders within the sector.”

Also speaking, the National President, Oil Palms Growers Association of Nigeria (OPGAN), Igwe Hillary Uche, said the reception and interest demonstrated by the ministry was encouraging. 

“The SMAANA-OPGAN collaboration with stakeholders and private investors to introduce forest mulching machines into the system, will have both immediate and future benefits for the agriculture sector of Nigeria,” he said.

NAN reports that forestry mulcher is the appropriate equipment specifically designed for bush clearing, which allows for preservation of the natural ecosystem while avoiding soil damage. (NAN)

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