The Nasarawa State Government has secured a $370,000 grant from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) to bolster transformation in the agricultural sector.
Speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Nasarawa State Capability for Inclusive Agriculture Transformation project on Friday in Lafia, AGRA's Country Director, Mr. Rufus Idris, highlighted the organization's commitment to empowering Africans to take charge of transforming their agriculture and food systems.
AGRA has supported agricultural initiatives in Nigeria for 17 years, particularly in Kaduna and Niger States. Idris revealed that over one million smallholder farmers in Nigeria have benefitted from AGRA's interventions.
Idris noted that Nasarawa State's partnership with AGRA is significant due to the various initiatives of Governor Abdullahi Sule's administration and the state's critical role in advancing Nigeria's agricultural landscape.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Mr. Umar Abdullahi, represented by the Managing Director of NASIDA, Mr. Ibrahim Abdullahi, expressed gratitude to AGRA for the partnership. He reiterated that agriculture is central to Nasarawa's economic development, given the state's agrarian nature.
"Nasarawa's Economic Development Strategy focuses on transitioning the state from subsistence to commercial agriculture, creating jobs, and revitalizing the economy. Agriculture is a major driver of growth for this new trajectory," Abdullahi said.
He emphasized that the partnership with AGRA aligns with the agricultural reforms implemented by Governor Sule's administration since 2019.
CEO of Jesnoch International, Dr. Charles Iyangbe, outlined that the project will run from January 2025 to June 2027. It will work within the institutional framework and enabling environment of agribusiness to develop an updated State Agricultural Policy document.
