Agriculture

NADF driving agricultural transformation in Nigeria–Official

Supreme Desk
26 Jan 2025 4:22 PM
NADF driving agricultural transformation in Nigeria–Official
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This is with the view to further driving socio-economic development through inclusive financing and sustainable support.

The National Agricultural Development Fund (NADF) has continued to redefine agriculture in Nigeria by implementing innovative strategies aimed at achieving growth, sustainability, and economic prosperity.


This aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

This is contained in a statement issued to the news men in Kaduna on Sunday by the Executive Secretary of the fund, Muhammed Abu-Ibrahim.

Supreme news also reports that this was the fall-out of the Convocation lecture he presented on Saturday at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun.

He highlighted the agency’s transformative efforts, saying, “our ultimate mission is to harness the transformative power of agriculture.

“This is with the view to further driving socio-economic development through inclusive financing and sustainable support.”

Abu-Ibrahim outlined the fund’s focus on four key funding areas: Inputs, implements and mechanisation, infrastructure, and emergency response to agricultural disasters.

He emphasised the need for modern innovation, saying, “agriculture today is a thriving playground of innovation, technology, and boundless opportunity.”

Speaking on ‘Emergency Response and Mechanisation Initiatives, Abu-Ibrahim revealed that NADF had achieved significant milestones.

According to him, they include addressing the ginger blight epidemic in Kaduna State, which devastated 80 per cent of Nigeria’s fastest-growing export commodity.

The epidemic affected seven local governments, over 10,000 hectares of farmland, and disrupted the entire ginger value chain.

On mechanisation, he said, the agency was collaborating with John Deere and TATA Africa Services to deploy 10,000 tractors over five years, starting with 2,000 units this year.

The initiative aims to boost crop yields, create jobs, and position Nigerian agriculture on the global stage.

According to Abu-Ibrahim, , NADF had established partnerships with various organisations, including GIZ for climate-smart agriculture and NITDA for deploying advanced technologies like UAVs and blockchain in crop production.

Additionally, he said, the fund had conducted a comprehensive needs assessment of Agricultural Research Institutes (ARIs) and Federal Colleges of Agriculture (FCAs).

The executive secretary said that this was to identify critical funding needs and explore viable projects for private sector investment.

Addressing the graduating students, Abu-Ibrahim encouraged them to leverage technology and innovation to create opportunities in agriculture.

He stated, “Agriculture thrives on partnerships. Work with other graduates, farmers, policymakers, and private sector stakeholders to build networks that foster mutual support.”

”The NADF’s initiatives underscore its commitment to building a resilient agricultural sector that can drive Nigeria’s economic growth and sustainability.”


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