NAN-AE-12
Agriculture
By Ebere Agozie
Abuja, June 5, 2017 (NAN) A university lecturer, Abdulrazak Ibrahim has urged the Federal Government to match its commitment to agriculture with innovative programmes to boost food production.
Ibrahim, of the Department of Biochemistry, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.
According to him, the innovative programmes will enhance food sufficiency in the country.
He advised the government to promote the use of available modern farming methods and technology that would solve the problems of poor agricultural productivity, health and nutrition.
“The times for avoiding new technologies based on the erroneous assumption that Nigerians are not scientifically mature enough to conduct one form of research or another should be over.
“With the growing number of Nigerians having the ability to drive these technologies in the country and their linkages with partners abroad, government agencies that are stakeholders in the biotech industry should come together.
“They should all mobilise and support in developing and promoting these new technologies as they represent the hope of ensuring that Nigeria attained food security as well as improve health and nutrition.’’
He said that government could not afford the luxury of doubting new technologies.
“Doing nothing will mean that Nigeria will fail in employing potentially powerful technologies that can improve human and health nutrition of its people.
“Perhaps nothing portends the danger of this doubt than the way Nigeria’s agriculture biotechnology potential had been truncated due to the sluggishness with which the country eventually signed its biosafety law.’’
He said there was an urgent need to develop sustainable agriculture as well as new products to meet national demands.
“This requires synergy and partnerships among public institutions, entrepreneurs, policy makers and international public and private entities to ensure that local farmers are not eventually displaced.
According to him, the strategic actions required will ensure that benefits of these new technologies are effectively harnessed in a sustainable manner. (NAN)
EPA/MOL/EEE
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Edited by Mustapha Lamidi/Ese E. Ekama