NASENI Collaborates With Agric Ministry on Food Security
By Patience Ikpeme
The National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security have initiated discussions to harness their technical expertise and resources for the betterment of agro-allied industries, climate change mitigation, and smart solar irrigation for dry-season farming.
During a meeting in Abuja on November 6, 2023, Senator Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture & Food Security, Hon. Sabi Aliyu Abdullahi, the Minister of State, and Mr. Khalil Suleiman Halilu, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NASENI, affirmed their commitment to this nascent collaboration, aimed at advancing the objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Senator Abubakar Kyari highlighted the significance of the 8-Point Renewed Hope Agenda, emphasizing that six of the eight socioeconomic recovery programs are intrinsically linked to the success of the agricultural sector. He commended Mr. Halilu and the NASENI team for prioritizing agriculture as one of the agency’s core focus areas.
In their discussions, Mr. Halilu assured the Ministry that NASENI is ready to collaborate to boost agriculture and achieve food security through technology adaptation and transfers. He underlined the Agency’s technical capabilities, technologies, and international partnerships, expressing their commitment to making Nigeria self-sufficient in food production, processing, and exports.
As part of their efforts, NASENI is actively refurbishing approximately 50,000 broken tractors across the country as part of a presidential initiative to promote large-scale land cultivation for farming.
The management of NASENI has secured both local and international technical partners to support the mass production of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for insecticide spraying over vast farmlands. They also aim to sustain afforestation, introduce solar-powered water irrigation to enhance both wet and dry season farming yields, improve cold chain food processing, and expand agro-allied value chains for food preservation and processing on a commercial scale.
The collaborative plans with the Ministry of Agriculture include crop traceability, a rice straw project, climate change mitigation through scientific and technological innovations, and increased food production to reduce Nigeria’s dependence on food imports.
Mr. Halilu emphasized their focus on adding value to agricultural products and raw materials, both for domestic consumption and export, as well as transferring, domesticating, and commercializing foreign technologies in the agricultural sector.
Since taking office, Mr. Halilu has received numerous requests regarding NASENI’s role in adding value to agriculture, from production to the market. He shared that NASENI’s participation in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Forum in China attracted significant investments, with about 40% of the funds earmarked for agriculture.
The Minister of State expressed appreciation for NASENI’s visit, highlighting the importance of inter-ministerial collaboration and synergy among government institutions to achieve the government’s priorities, including food security, poverty alleviation, job creation, and addressing socioeconomic challenges in Nigerian society.
