The Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director, NSIA, Uche Orji, has said agriculture is a key focus sector for the Authority and important for the economy, as it has the potential for employment generation, poverty alleviation and food security.
He spoke in Abuja at a briefing with the theme: ‘Redefining Agriculture in Nigeria for the Future’, to herald the inauguration of an Integrated feed and food manufacturing company, Pandagric Novum, in Nasarawa State.
Uche said: “The NSIA as an investment institution of the Federal Government has a mission to play a leading role in driving sustained economic development for the benefit of Nigerians.
“The agency aims to develop the agriculture sector enough to ensure increased production towards the satisfaction of local demand, as well as the development of requisite infrastructure to ensure improved product quality, facilitate import substitution and provide a driver of foreign exchange earnings from the exportation of agricultural produce.”
Pandagric Managing Director, Bruce Spain, said the agriculture company is poised to redefine the future of agriculture in Nigeria through its innovative farming practices that have been developed to guarantee increased yields and food sufficiency.
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According to Spain, the company has developed crop cultivation and management protocols for achieving the highest yields and that it had invested in testing and trials over the years and discovered improved crop nutrition practices to get the best growth and yield results.
Reiterating how Pandagric Novum is redefining the future of agriculture through increased crop yield, Spain hinted that the goal of the company is to achieve over 10 tonnes per hectare in future.
However, he said, “if we can double our national average of maize from 1.5 tonnes per hectare to three tonnes per hectare using good genetics and farming practices, then we will double our national output. Nigeria very quickly will become a net exporter of maize and create food security. In addition, we will reduce the negative environmental impact associated with opening and farming more land. We aim to get these practices into the farming communities and start to see yields and agricultural output rise in Nigeria”.