NAN-AE-2
Farming
By Tosin Kolade
Abuja, Sept. 19, 2016 (NAN) The Director of Songhai Farms, Prof. Godfrey Nzamujo, has called on the three tiers of government to adopt the Songhai farming system to boost food production in the country.
Nzamujo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday that the system would ensure food security and reduce dependency on imported food items.
He said although Nigeria had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Songhai Farms Ltd., Porto Novo, the country needed to make deliberate steps to boost food production.
“I think that the socio-economic situation today in Africa that we call poverty is largely due to our incapacity to efficiently harness the opportunities therein.
“All tiers of government must begin to see the advantage of Songhai farming to boost food production and employment creation,” Nzamujo said.
He said part of the partnership Nigeria entered with the farm was the introduction of the Graduate Employment Scheme/Farm Settlement Schemes to be located in each of the 109 Senatorial Districts.
He said the scheme would further prompt the River Basin Development Authorities (RBDAs) to package their water services with the provision of complementary basic rural infrastructure.
Nzamujo explained that about 70 per cent of diseases suffered by Nigerians stem from poor nutrition occasioned by poisonous foods by chemicals.
He said that the project would facilitate production of quality food and gainful employment for Nigerians through the revitalisation of the RBDAs.
NAN recalls that the Minister of Water Resources, Mr Sulieman Adamu, had said that the MoU between the RBDAs and the Songhai Farms was targeted at promoting integrated agricultural schemes to boost food production.
He said the Federal Government’s vision for the sector was to reposition and strengthen the RBDAs to become major economic nerve-centres in line with the economic diversification policy of the present administration.
“In line with this policy thrust, a retreat was organised for all stakeholders and practitioners in the sector which culminated in the setting up of a committee to produce a Blueprint and Action Plan for the repositioning of the RBDAs,” he explained.
Adamu added that as part of the action plan, the committee members visited the Songhai Farms in Benin Republic early in 2015 to understudy the model. (NAN)
TAK/JEY/AFA
Edited by Johnson Eyiangho/Felix Ajide
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