A consortium of mid-sized agricultural companies in Nigeria has promised to support millions of farmers across different value chains to increase food security in the country.

The group made the pledge during a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday, March 8, 2024.

The leader of the delegation and CEO of AFEX – a leading commodities exchange in Nigeria, Akinyinka Akintunde, said the group was at the State House to pledge its support to government’s programmes and policies in the agricultural sector.

He said the group is proposing an initiative that will support two million farmers across four value chains (rice, maize, sorghum, and Soyabeans) to enhance sustainable agriculture and ensure the success of the food security drive of the Federal Government.

Akintunde said the consortium will achieve the set objectives by engaging and collaborating with key stakeholders, including the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), and farmer aggregation companies.

He listed the proposed initiative to also include linking farmers to markets and enriching the government’s grain reserves across the country with assorted commodities, all in a bid to boost the food security targets of the administration.

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Speaking, Vice President Kashim Shettima commended the efforts of the young entrepreneurs, particularly in “seeking practical solutions to challenges confronting the nation”.

Shettima, who welcomed their partnership, said: “Mid-sized companies like yours should be the drivers of change in our nation. We can work as a team towards addressing our core challenges.”

The Vice President stressed that President Bola Tinubu is committed to stimulating growth in the economy, especially working with the private sector.

He said: “My boss is very much devoted to stimulating growth in the Nigerian economy, regardless of the challenges. Leadership is actually about challenges and we are mindful of them.

“We want collaboration from the private sector to turn agriculture into a business and dramatically change our economic landscape. We (as a nation) are one of the resource-endowed countries in the world and have no business being poor.”

He, therefore, called on the private sector, including financial institutions, to support the Federal Government’s drive to transform agricultural production and improve the welfare of Nigerians.

Others present at the meeting were the Vice President, Operations, at Thrive Agric, Oshone Anavhe; Managing Director of SWAgCo (South West Agriculture Company) Limited, Jide Arowosafe; representative of Sterling Bank, Joshua Zira; and Head of Market Growth at AFEX, Zara Dogo; among others.

The Star