Investors have been given a glimpse into the country’s massive agricultural potential.
Vice President Kashim Shettima unveiled the enormous capacity for investment in agribusiness in Iowa, United States on Tuesday.
To guarantee food security, he said the Federal Government plans mechanised farm centres in all the 774 local government areas.
According to him, Nigeria remained the best place to invest, “with about 70 million hectares of underutilised arable land, which is 75 per cent of our total land area”.
He added: “Nigeria offers a substantial opportunity to both local and foreign investors to boost agricultural productivity.
“This is why we’ve embraced the TAAT, GIP, and SAPZ programmes and we are investing in agricultural research through the National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF).
“This is why we are helping our farmers increase production and providing essential infrastructure for industries in peri-urban areas to expand their capacity.
“This is the wisdom for our resolve to establish Mechanisation Service Centres in all our 774 Local Government Areas to facilitate essential primary production services.”
Shettima’s remarks were made available by his spokesman Stanley Nkwocha.
The Tinubu Administration has expressed its interest in diversifying the economy from oil and gas to agriculture.
Shettima spoke during the Norman Borlaug International Dialogue.
The Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, also referred to as the “Borlaug Dialogue,” is a gathering of individuals from more than 65 countries fully prepared to address cutting-edge issues related to global food security and nutrition.
The theme of this year’s lecture is “Harnessing Change”. The Vice President told the gathering that under President Tinubu’s watch, Nigeria has since demonstrated that the Agrifood sector was a top priority.
Delivering his address titled, “Nigeria’s Agribusiness Roadmap for a Prosperous Future,” VP Shettima said: “Our primary objective is to empower our farmers and attract investors.
“We are increasing primary production to harness the economic potential of agro-processing and industrialisation.
“This is why, upon assuming office, the President declared a state of emergency in agriculture.
“The connection between food and national security is too significant for us not to be alarmed by happenings around the world, whether in response to unforeseen disasters like the COVID-19 pandemic or the geopolitical frictions around us.”
Restating Nigeria’s firm belief in the power of partnership, the VP explained that it was for this reason that the country had prioritised interventions, which he said present profound economic opportunities for investors.
He listed the interventions to include:
*The National Agriculture Growth Scheme (NAGS);
