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By Chinyere Anyanwu
The Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has said it will develop innovative strategies to enhance agricultural efficiency and productivity in the federal capital, Abuja. This it said, was in a bid to foster economic growth and create employment opportunities.
The Mandate Secretary, Mr. Lawal Geidam, made this known in Abuja after receiving briefs from different departments in the secretariat on their operations, achievements and challenges.
Geidam stated that the secretariat would also educate and equip residents, particularly the youths, with the necessary knowledge and skills to operate agriculture as a viable business.
“By imparting this knowledge, we hope to empower individuals to engage in agriculture as entrepreneurs, fostering economic growth and creating employment opportunities in the process,” he said.
He, however, emphasised the importance of synergy among the various departments of the secretariat to achieve the desired results.
He explained that the briefs from the different departments have enabled him to have a comprehensive understanding of their roles and functions.
This, he said, would ensure effective coordination and alignment with common goals in line with the agricultural development agenda of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.
He added that the activities of the departments were interconnected, adding that their collective efforts were crucial for enhancing food production.
The secretary also said the working synergy would also help in transforming the agricultural sector into a significant source of employment and wealth creation for the growing population.
He pointed out that working in isolation would not lead to the desired outcomes and stressed the need for collaboration and cooperation among the departments.
“The activities of the departments are interwoven. All are geared towards not only boosting food production but making the sector a viable source of job and wealth creation for our teeming population. We cannot achieve this in isolation; all the departments must work in synergy to achieve this objective,” he said.
While expressing satisfaction on the progress recorded by the various departments so far, Geidam assured that the challenges were surmountable.
“All we need from you as civil servants is sincerity and diligence in doing your jobs,” he said, adding that he would visit all the agricultural project sites in the FCT to assess the current state of the projects and identify areas for improvement.
