The Federal Government, in collaboration with Manobi Africa Plc, a Mauritius-based company, has inaugurated the National Agcelerant Technical Committee to mobilise financial support for small farmers and also provide technical assistance towards improving their capacity in the areas of new agronomic practices and latest technologies as well as improve their productivity.
Speaking during the inauguration in Abuja, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Sabo Nanono, noted that, “our agricultural sector is characterised by low productivity, under-performing agricultural value chains, and food import level which is negatively affecting our trade balance, among others.’’
Alhaji Nanono further said, “we need to start reversing this trend by harnessing the huge potential in the agricultural sector for sustainable development through partnership and engagement with willing stakeholders who genuinely believe in our beloved nation and ready to lend us helping hands,” he stressed.
He pointed out that, “the Agcelerant is a novel value chain orchestration platform connecting smallholder contract farmers and producers with banks, insurers and input providers and agro-industries to control risks and improve the productivity, security and welfare of millions of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.’’
The Minister also said, “the promotion of phygital agriculture to encapsulate the emergent opportunity for robust physically-based, digitally-driven solution to improve agricultural production and productivity in Nigeria.”