To improve the agricultural sector in the country, the federal government is working with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to roll out a plan called the “Country Programming Framework” (CPF). The CPF is a multi-level, 5 years agricultural initiative that is anticipated to get funds from the federal, state, and local governments as well as from international contributors. FAO’s Nigerian representative Fred Kafeero says the initiative fits in with the organization’s global strategy framework, which places a premium on helping nations modernize their food production and distribution systems.
It is also in line with the government’s plans for national development, the UN’s assistance to Nigeria, and the FAO) worldwide strategic framework, which places a priority on the modernization of national food production systems. However, a new analysis by Jobberman Nigeria suggests that a lack of employability skills among young Nigerians may prevent them from taking advantage of many of the 4.5 million jobs expected to be created in the agriculture industry over the next five years (2021-2025).
Productivity and the agricultural value chain will be enhanced.
During his presentation, Abubakar Suleiman, who is the Assistant FAO Representative to Nigeria for the Programme, stated that the project would be executed on four pillars, one of which is equitable and sustainable agri-food systems for improved production, improving the robustness of food and livelihood systems that are dependent on agriculture, management of the climate and natural resources in a sustainable manner while also promoting healthy and nutritious meals. He added that the project would increase capacities for value chain analysis and assure the modernization of priority commodity value chains.
Speaking further, he affirmed that it is anticipated that the project will raise capacity and boost in efficiency in livestock, fisheries, and specified crop and forest value chains. Additionally, it is expected that the project will improve supervisory capacity for the plant, animal, human and environment interaction through one health technique, among other things. He went on to clarify that a total of $99,521,000 was going to be needed in order to carry out the job.
Agricultural objectives will also be realized for maximum output.
Mohammad Abubakar, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the project is a welcome development as it will boost access to better food, maintain healthy diets, and improve the rural economy. He explained that the four components of objectives for agricultural development include increasing national food and nutrition security by bolstering food systems that are both nutrition-sensitive and climate-smart; Helping establish a policy and regulatory structure for agriculture that is both practical and effective; Encouragement of fair wages and safe working conditions in the agricultural sector, particularly for young people and women; Ecosystem and resource management will be more effective and sustainable and improve the Humanitarian Development nexus through increased disaster preparedness; Enhanced emergency management, and reduced vulnerability.
It is crucial to keep in mind that if the agricultural industry is to be transformed, everybody needs to get ready to make huge investments in the sector and rise to the challenge of combating hunger and reducing food waste in value chains. They should in fact build a robust action plan in conjunction with partners for development to tackle the adverse effects of climate change, global pandemic, institutional weaknesses, post-harvest losses, and a poor supply chain of food systems.
The FAO aligned initiative will enhance the betterment of the country.
On the other hand, the FAO Assistant Representative revealed that for this particular instance, the CPF also makes use of a number of collaborative projects that the FAO has initiated over the course of the past few years. According to him, they are concentrating their efforts on four pillars that we refer to as the strategic pillars, and they are the ones that are best aligned with the FAO worldwide plan to actualize what are known as the four Betters: better production, better nutrition, better environment, and better life.
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