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Tag: reduce poverty

  • FG to create employment, reduce poverty via maintenance culture -Fashola

    The Federal Government has revealed that it will be creating long term employment and reducing the poverty rate in the country through the maintained of its public infrastructural assets.

    Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola stated that this administration is redeveloping and maintaining road networks in the six geopolitical zones in the country.

    He added that the government is also involved in the maintenance of all bridges on federal roads, rebuilding road networks in Federal Universities and building power stations in Federal Universities.

    Speaking yesterday in Abuja, at the quarterly lecture series organised by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Fashola who was represented by the Deputy Director Rehabilitation in the ministry, Arc. Augustine Ocheje said that a process is ongoing to amend procurement laws.

    He added that the major focus of the current administration happens to be the development of infrastructures in pursuit of the key objectives of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).

    His words, “A mayor focus of the current administration happens to be the development of infrastructures in pursuit of one of the key objectives of its Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP). Accordingly, government has invested heavily on road infrastructures, airports, water resources. power, public buildings and housing etc.

    “At the same time, the government is concerned about protecting these investments and maintaining existing public infrastructure assets which are under performing as a result of inadequate maintenance and lack of coordinated approach to maintenance of public infrastructure. I believe most of us are aware of the enormity of infrastructure deficit inherited by this Administration.

    “Redevelopment and Maintenance of Road Network in the six (6) geopolitical zones in the country targeted at connecting state capitals as well as agricultural/economic activity centres;

    “Maintenance of all bridges on Federal roads in Nigeria, Rebuilding road networks in Federal Universities, Building of Power stations in Federal Universities and a process is on-going to amend procurement laws to encourage small businesses and entrepreneurs.

    “A maior focus of the current administration happens to be the development of infrastructures in pursuit of one of the key objectives of its Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP). Accordingly, government has invested heavily on road.

    Read also: Fashola: we can’t cover every road in Nigeria

    “I would like to emphasize that there is a direct link between infrastructure development, poverty reduction and employment creation. The maintenance of public infrastructural assets will create sustainable long-term employment and poverty reduction while the life span and functionality of public assets will be elongated and improved.”

    Acting Executive Secretary of NICO, Mr. Louis Eriomala stated that the lecture themed, ‘Maintenance culture: a panacea for sustainable infrastructural development in Nigeria’, was chosen considering the poor state of our nation’s infrastructural architecture.

    He said this has been largely due to the country’s poor maintenance culture as a people.

  • Olota: monarchs must reduce poverty among subjects

    The Awori community in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State has established the Foundation for Economic and Development Initiatives (FECODEIN).

    The foundation, an initiative of the Olota of Ota, HRM Abdulkabir Adeyemi Obalanlege, is to alleviate the suffering of the masses among the Awori-speaking people.

    Unlike what obtained in time past, the monarch said it is high time traditional rulers championed the campaign against hunger and poverty to reduce crime and other social vices in their domains.

    He said: “We, as custodians of culture and traditional authorities that are closest to the people, should take off some of the pains by supporting infrastructural development, wealth creation or what people call poverty alleviation, and providing necessary assistance to make our people employers of labour or for them to be self-employed.”

    The event came on the heels of the annual Iganmode Day, a historic event celebrated by the Awori.

    Going down memory lane, the monarch, a Professor of Mass Communication, said since he mounted the throne last year, he realised there was a lacuna between the rich and poor.

    He said the development had further heightened security challenges in the communities.

    To address the development, the monarch said he convened a think tank, which culminated in the establishment of FECODEIN.

    Oba Obalanlege said funds realised by the foundation would be managed by a Board of Trustees (BoT) which would disburse same as revolving loans to interested indigenes planning to set up small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs).

    Revolving loans, he noted, provide liquidity for a company’s day-to-day operations; offer debt protection; make loan repayment faster and flexible and make the loanee able to transfer funds from revolving loan transaction to transaction account once a loanee realised minimum percentage to be paid back.

    “We need to halt the drift and depopulate the growing class vagabonds, ‘area father’s’ who now constitute a social menace because of the need for survival. We must educate and empower them to discard their shameful vices. They, like us, know what it is like to have no hope, no path to a better life.”

    On how FECODEIN could be maximised, the guest speaker, Prof Idris Ayinde of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), urged the Awori to work with the Lagos State government for more socio-economic development.

    He said from history, 75 per cent of Lagos settlers were the Awori, adding that this would further open up a symbiotic relationship between Lagos and the Awori to develop the social and economic potential of the latter.

    Read also: Ezekwesili promises poverty reduction, if elected

    Idris urged the Awori to be proud of their root and do away with infighting and disunity.

    According to him, these are factors that led to backwardness of the Awori over the years.

    He noted that from Ikeja to Isolo down to Awori land in Ota have become commercial hubs, yet with bad roads, non-standard schools, irregular power supply and other amenities.

    Ayinde praised the Oloto for launching FECODEIN, describing it as a starting point towards addressing some of the aforementioned challenges.

    “Despite all these challenges, I believe FECODEIN is a fantastic initiative that will take the people of Awori to the Promised Land,” he said.

    The convener of the summit, Dr Michael Olawale Cole, described it as strategic due to the determination of the Olota to lift the Awori out of squalor via FECODEIN.

    The highpoint of the event was the presentation of plaques/cash prizes to outstanding science students in public schools in Ota.

    There was also a presentation of awards to guests and corporate bodies, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Founder of Crescent University, Abeokuta, Prince Bola Ajibola (SAN), among others.

     

  • How reforms can reduce poverty and improve food security

    Wide-ranging reforms are needed to make Nigeria’s economy more sustainable and resilient, a World Bank Consultant, Prof. Abel Ogunwale, has said.

    Ogunwale said there was a need to reform the agricultural sector to ensure poverty reduction and greater food security.

    According to him, the agricultural sector is an important part of the economy and provides a livelihood for many Nigerians.

    He called for a reformed policy environment, which will ensure that the sector contributes to improve food security and poverty reduction.

    Effective implementation of the reform, according to him, will require improvements to agricultural institutions and governance systems. He stressed that future economic productivity could stall unless governments invest more in their people and services to support them.

    According to him, infrastructure still poses challenges that must be addressed to ensure that Nigeria achieves sustainable and inclusive growth. He said lack of investment in infrastructure has halted the growth progress, adding that unless the government invests more in infrastructure, including power and transport, the growth will not be sustainable. For him, the nation’s infrastructure development lagged behind other economies, particularly, poor transportation, connectivity and roads are deteriorating due to lack of maintenance investment.

    Promising sectors, such as agriculture, he said, require a large amount of infrastructure, urging the government to leverage the private sector through public-private partnerships to finance public infrastructure. He advocated significant tax reforms as strategies to attract investment and ease the burden on small business.

  • Using agric to reduce poverty

    States are striving to boost agriculture to promote green growth and poverty reduction.These were the highlights of The Nation Agriculture and Food Summit in Abuja, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

    With more than 70 per cent of its population living in rural areas, Nigeria’s economy is dependent on agriculture. But less than 30 per cent of its GrossDomestic Product (GDP) comes from the sector.

    Experts believe  the sector has the potential to increase its contribution to GDP. However, the most pressing challenge facing the nation is harnessing its agricultural resources to improve lives.

    In response, states, including Lagos, Borno, Kebbi, Plateau, Sokoto, Benue, Lagos and Bayelsa,  are launching massive programmes to boost agriculture and smallholder farmers, to drive green growth and reduce poverty. They gave  the hints at The Nation Agric, Food Summit  and Awards held last week in Abuja.

    The event was designed to highlight agribusiness potential. To them, agriculture should be at the centre of a transition to a resource-efficient green economy, galvanising support for smallholder farmers, who are an “untapped resource” in addressing food security and environmental challenges.

    Borno State Governor Kashim Shettima said agriculture is the most important economic sector  and that the country produces various crops in different climatic zones, from dry savanna to wet forest, which run in east west bands across the country.

    He stressed that investments in sustainable smallholder agriculture must go hand-in-hand with policy and institutional reforms, investments in infrastructure and improvements in market access.

    He said there were compelling reasons to boost Nigeria’s agricultural sector. This, he said,  would  reduce reliance on imports and provide jobs to a country full of dedicated farmers.

    The Borno State Government recently unveiled its remarkable progress in many sectors. The state has registered 18,000 farmers to cultivate rice on 18,000 hectares of land in preparation for this year’s planting season. It has acquired tractors, mills, threshers, planters and harvesters.

    Under the programme, each farmer will cultivate one hectare of land.

    Shettima procured more than 10,000 farming units of irrigation materials, brought into the state in 750 containers.

    In addition, Borno is promoting drip irrigation, which allows water to be conserved at its premier centre in Maduguri.

    The advanced farming technology allows for two farming seasons and production of about 3,000 tonnes of tomato. Existing beside this is a seedling protecting centre that can produce tomato, pepper and any seedling.

    It has a capacity to produce eight million seedlings monthly, ready to plant.

    Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu, said agriculture plays a key role in the state’s economic growth.

    Since the advent of President Muhammadu Buhari administration in 2015, Bagudu  said  rice production has been on the increase in the state.

    He said the government has focused on food security and reduction of expenses spent on importation of food stuff, which is as much as N1billion.

    As Nigeria‘s population continues to grow, thus implying more mouths that need to be fed in the future, he said the governments recently initiated partnership programmes with smallholder rice farmers to increase production through the use of new technologies and innovative financing programmes.

    He said the  country’s plan to become self-sufficient in rice has included additional investment in milling, along with the distribution of higher-yield seeds and fertiliser.

    According to him, Kebbi State has become a model and a hub in rice and wheat production and sales that attract the attention of many individuals, companies and states across the country.

    Bagudu said states have agreed to cooperate more closely to support sustainable rice production to improve food security and livelihoods.

    The partnership primarily, according to him,  aims to enhance sustainable rice farming, including assisting governments draw up and implement policies and strategies – to the benefit of small-scale farmers.

    To consolidate on the gains recorded in dry season rice farming and improve output in wet season, Bagudu said the state entered into partnership with Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Zamfara and the Moroccan government to receive the supply over 300,000 tonnes of fertiliser.

    He  noted that Kebbi farmers  farm rice, wheat, sorghum and millet throughout the year.

    Apart from Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN)  Anchor Borrowers Programme, he said the government is engaged in strengthening capacities of  rice sector actors through its capacity development.

    For turning Kebbi to the largest rice producing state in Nigeria, the governor was aptly appointed Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on Rise and Wheat Production. If the Kebbi success is replicated in other places, he  noted  that  it  was possible for Nigeria to satisfy her rice demand in three or four years; and through that process, conserve foreign exchange and create thousands of jobs.

    Importantly, replicating the Kebbi success will also help take millions of poor Nigerians out of poverty, and make thousands of farmers millionaires.

    He affirmed the government’s commitment to investing in agro-industrialisation, saying the move would create a first-line employment and investment opportunity for women as well as the youth.

    He reassured that his administration will continue to do its part to promote the competitiveness of commercially-oriented agriculture.

    At the inception of the Simon Lalong administration in 2015, the governor and his team saw the need to promote agriculture for the development of the state and its people. This it did by making agriculture one of its policy thrusts to ensure food secuirty, provide employment to the citizens of the state and leverage on the policy thrust of the All Peoples Congress (APC)-led administration.

    Lalong said the state government’s decision to engage in massive agricultural ventures through public and private sector partnership was deliberate to ensure that agriculture became the driver of a mixed sector economy for job creation and economic prosperity.

    According to him, the state is developing agricultural projects, helping farmers there adopt sustainable practices for greater food security.

    A lot of green houses have been springing up all over the state due to these efforts while improvements are being recorded in rice farming.

    With the commitment by the administration in agriculture, potato farming  received a boost which has resulted in Plateau being selected as the only state to run the national potato value chain and furtherance of its desire to encourage a robust agricultural sector, the governor created the enabling environment and sponsored the first ever farmers’ summit in the state which resulted in in far reaching resolutions.

    The investment in the agricultural sector in Plateau state has gone beyond subsistence levels to a flourishing value chain enterprise with opportunities waiting to be tapped.

    Bayelsa State Commissioner of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Doodei Week  said rural youth represent a large proportion of the vulnerable households.

    He  reiterated  the state’s  determination to employ agriculture in tackling youth unemployment in rural areas, therefore providing peace, stability and food security.

    Lalong was appointed as a member of the National Food Security Council (NFSC), giving Plateau a deserved recognition as an agricultural centre of excellence.

    Key speaker and former Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State,  Prof  Adebiyi Daramola, said a genuine agricultural revolution is needed to enable Nigerians  feed themselves , urging more youths to take up farming.

    Daramola said the country has  witnessed mixed results in terms of agricultural growth and food security due to poor sector leadership, erratic rainfall patterns, poor inputs distribution system and little investments.

    These mixed results ,according to him, awakened the government to the imperative to do something about agriculture.

    He  said agriculture must be transformed so that it offers young people an appealing alternative to urban life.

    According to him, channelling the energy, strength and dynamism of Nigeria’s youth into productive, competitive and profitable agribusinesses will boost agricultural production systems, create jobs and generate income.

    He said  the sector   needs to apply advanced technology and promote mechanisation in agricultural production and aquaculture.

    To develop agriculture specifically, Daramola envisions developing cold storage and food-processing facilities, and helping farmers expand markets.

    He urged farmers to change their mindsets to benefit from modern farming by using modern equipment to cultivate and irrigate crops during dry season.

    He said mechanisation improves labour and land productivity, saves time and eases work, while maintaining postharvest quality of agricultural produce to reduce losses.

    As part of measures to boost the  economy, the Bank of Agriculture (BoA) said the bank would ensure that efforts to grow the country’s agriculture sector to meet the standard set by government is not compromised.

    The BoA demonstrated leadership in agribusiness financing as being exemplified in its pivotal role in the Anchor Borrowers Programme, financing of Micro,Small and Medium agricultural enterprises in Nigeria.

    Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Vege fresh, Prince Joseph Samuel, said efforts to boost domestic agribusiness capacity would allow Nigeria to capture more of the agricultural value chain incountry, thereby creating jobs and increasing wealth.

    Samuel said agricultural research and development programmes were not up to the mark.

  • Fayose, Mark, Olujimi seek action to reduce poverty

    To reduce the pervasive poverty in the land, there must be holistic efforts from the government and the elites, it was learnt yesterday.

    Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, former Senate President David Mark and the denator representing Ekiti South, Abiodun Olujimi, made the call at the launch of a book written by the senator representing Ekiti Central, Bode Ola, titled: Why The Poor Are Still With Us in Abuja.

    Fayose, who was represented by Ayodele Oladimeji, noted that unemployment was affecting the lives of youths.

    The governor said the nation’s elite as well as the government have key roles to play in addressing the poverty challenges.

    He decried increasing unemployment and underemployment rates in the land.

    Fayose said: “Today, the major challenge is unemployment. After unemployment, we equally have underemployment. I spoke with two people in Ekiti State on Sunday: the husband is teaching at a primary school and the wife is equally teaching in another nursery and primary school. Each of them earns N15,000 per month. You can then imagine the condition of the children this couple will rear.”

    On the book, the governor said it captures the challenges confronting the poor masses of the country and proffered solutions.

    He urged the elite to use the book for the benefit of the masses.

    Fayose said: “The book highlights the challenges of the poor masses. What are their needs? What can the elite do to assist them?”

    Mark noted that the book launch was timely because it sought to identify the major causes of poverty and how to eradicate it from the society.

    He said: “I cannot think of a more important and timely topic for Nigeria than issue of poverty and the large number of the poor in the society.”

    Olujimi stressed the need to prioritise the welfare of the people.

    The senator decried the level of poverty in the country, saying the people were becoming spiritually and socially poor.

    She noted that “a country where its citizens die because they could not afford a malaria drug of N1,000 is a poor country”.

    Olujimi called for reorientation among the people, saying: “Government needs to take charge and look after the people.”

    Senator Bode Ola said poverty was a major bane to posterity.

    Quoting the world’s statistics on poverty, the senator said this should be a source of concern to all, considering the state of the nation’s economy.

    He also blamed funds mismanagement and overdependence on oil for the menace.

    On the book, Ola said it was his passion and compassion for the poor that prompted his writing.

    He said: “This book was borne out of my passion and compassion for the poor. It is said that poverty is a threat to prosperity. The rich cannot sleep because the poor are awake. With the present state of things in Nigeria, it is a concern to everyone.

    “The world’s statistics on poverty is a source of concern; as a politician, it is a concern. The book tries to answer three questions. These include: what is poverty? Why poverty is still with us. This involves mismanagement of resources and overdependence on crude oil. It is because of oil we neglected other areas.”

    The senator suggested the establishment of a University of Entrepreneurship Education where youths can learn the art of wealth creation through self-generated ideas as well as self-dependence.

    Prof. Gbenga Ibileye of Kogi State University, who reviewed the 160-page book, said it is filled with theoretical insights and actionable recommendations.

    The expert noted that if followed, the book would show genuine process of curing Nigeria of the toga of chronic poverty and usher the nation into the realm of prosperity.

    According to him, this will eventually eradicate or sufficiently alleviate poverty in the land.

    Ibileye added that the book, which is divided into eight chapters, captures poverty, the causes and the solutions.

     

  • N10bn Farmers-to-finance fund will reduce poverty – Osinbajo

    N10bn Farmers-to-finance fund will reduce poverty – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday said the newly inaugurated N10 billion Farmers-to-Finance-Mutual Funds would help reduce poverty and support local farmers to grow their businesses.

    Osinbajo stated this in Abuja at the 2017 Conference of the Association of non-bank Micro-finance Institutions of Nigeria (ANMFIN) and launch of of N10 billion Farmers-to-Finance-Mutual Funds.

    He said that the newly established fund would complement the effort of the federal government at increasing agricultural output, ensuring food security and the production of raw materials.

    Osinbajo was represented at the event by the Managing Director, Bank of Industry (BOI), Olukayode Pitan.

    “It is estimated that in Nigeria, those living below the poverty line is about 67 per cent, most of who reside in the rural areas and primarily practice subsistence farming.

    “Therefore the elimination of poverty is not possible without sustained execution of agricultural development programmes.

    “Given the scale of investments required to ensure sustained growth in the sector, private sector involvement is fundamental.

    “One major avenue through which this can be achieved is through pooling of capital from private sources, such as the Farmers-to-Finance-Mutual Funds.

    “This platform will offer private investors the ability to pool capital and take advantage of large investment opportunities that are not usually accessible to an individual investor,” Osinbajo stated.

    President of ANMFIN, Princess Adeshola Ogunleye, said that the Fund would be made available to farmers at an interest rate of 10 per cent.

    She said that the association would leverage its network to ensure that at least 4.5 million farmers benefited from the fund.

     

     

  • U.S. provides $227.3 to reduce poverty

    U.S. provides $227.3 to reduce poverty

    United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has announced $227.3 million additional developmental assistance to Nigeria.
    This, according to a statement yesterday by the United States Embassy in Abuja, is to support the five-year $2.3 billion agreement signed with the Federal Government in 2015.
    This brings the total provided under the agreement to $702 million.
    “Today, we are pleased to announce new funding under the agreement signed with Nigeria in 2015 to provide better access to education and health services and promote democracy and economic growth” said U.S. Ambassador Stuart Symington.
    “With the Nigerian Government’s leadership, we know this funding will significantly improve the wellbeing of Nigerians,” he added.
    The agreement will run till 2020.

  • ‘Micro-credits will reduce poverty’

    Experts in micro-finance banking have urged the government to make micro-credits with low interest rates available to those with business ideas in order to reduce unemployment.

    They spoke during a policy conference on microcredit, organised by Amoye Microfiance Bank Limited, Ikere Ekiti in Ekiti State, in collaboration with Partnership for Economic Policy, Canada (PPE); and the Initiative for Evidence-Based Development and Empowerment, Nigeria (LEBDEM).

    The bank’s Managing Director Akanle Oluwole, said small and medium enterprises can be driven through funding with microcredit.

    Micro-credit, he said, can also be used as a policy instrument to reduce poverty, especially among women.

    Business owners who spoke at the event said the amount of loan is often too small to meet their business needs.

    But Mr. Lawrence Ogunmolaji explained that microfinance banks always consider customers circumstances in making decisions on microcredit.

    He added that there is limit to the amount that a micro-finance bank can loan as microcredit.

    Amongst the participants at the event were key policy makers, including representatives of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), National Planning Commission, Association of Non-Bank Microfinance Institutions of Nigeria, customers of the bank, members of board of directors, management and staff of the bank.

    Also in attendance were former Chairman Ikere Local Government, Olasunkanmi Ogunbiyi, and his Ikole Local Government counterpart, Wole Ayeni.

    Others were Chairman, Ifesowapo Cooperative Society Ikere Ekiti, Mr. Ezekiel Ojo;  Dr. Rufus Akindola, Mr. Lawrence Ogunmolaji and Dr. Damilola Olajide.

  • Integrated farming will reduce poverty

    Integrated farming will reduce poverty

    Agricultural experts from the West and Central Africa Council for Agricultural Research and Development (WECARD) have recommended integrated farming as a means of reducing poverty in the country.

    The team of experts spoke during their inspection and documentation visit to the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology (OYSCATECH) in Igboora. They were led by Prof Kolawole Ajani.

    According to them, the integrated farming system being practised by the college remains the best in terms of structure and programme co-ordination. The team praised the college management led by Prof Gbemiga Adewale for its commitment, collaboration and funding of the project.

    The integrated farming is a system that allows farmers to cultivate rice, breeds fishes and rear pig within a parcel of land.

    Satisfied with the success recorded by the college on its first phase of the integrated farming, Prof Ajani promised that WECARD would introduce the second phase of the system in the college. He said the project was being funded by the World Bank under the supervision of WECARD.

    Speaking on the benefits of the system, the team said farmers could harvest a minimum of 35.5kg of rice in three months on a small portion of land. In the same period, he said, Fish harvest from the pond and pork processing from piggery could be realised.

    By implication, they said farmers would have enough produce to sell and poverty, they said, would be reduced.

    Receiving the team on behalf of the Provost, the Deputy Provost, Mr Isiaka Adekunle, appreciated WECARD team for choosing the college as beneficiary of the project. He pledged the management’s commitment towards the success of the project.

    Some of the college’s students, who had been trained on integrated farming, said that they had learnt new method of farming through the project.

  • ‘Granting farmers loans’ll reduce poverty, unemployment’

    The ‘Egbe Agbe Onigari, Akinle-Ijebu’ has called on the Federal and state governments to reduce poverty and the high rate of unemployment in the country by assisting cassava farmers with soft loans.

    The group said cassava is now a “golden crop,” adding that promoting agriculture could solve the challenge of hunger, poverty, increased social vices and unemployment ravaging the country.

    Speaking at the bi-Annual General Meeting of the association in Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, its Chairman, Chief Baderin Parakoyi, said a critical analysis of the economic situation of the country revealed the need for diversification from oil to agriculture.

    The meeting, which has as theme: ‘Way out of the food and unemployment crises in Nigeria,’ was addressed by the Chairman of the Adenle Farms, Alhaji Wasiu Adenle.

    The major reason the government relied on oil money, the University of Lagos graduate turned cassava farmer, said, was the criminal neglect of the agric sector by successive administrations.

    “Cassava is now a ‘golden crop’ across the world, where over 2,000 different products can be extracted. Nigeria is currently the largest producer of cassava in the world with annual production of over 34 million metric tonnes. Yet, there is glut in cassava production in the country mainly because of the absence of adequate processing of the crop into many products,” he said.

    Assisting the farmers, he said, would encourage them to cultivate more, hence there will be increased farm activities, while hunger, poverty and unemployment would be reduced.

    However, Adenle identified paucity of funds and implements as the major problems confronting the farmers.

    He said they were interested in supplying several tonnes of cassava to many of the agro-allied industries in the country, such as Dangote Group, Flour Mills of Nigeria Limited and Okin Biscuits, which they could not do because of insufficient funds.

    At the meeting, the association released a 12-point communiqué on the way forward to boost food production in the country.

    These are: There is an urgent need for inter-agency interaction for expedited information flows, facilitated and desirable synergies; private sector and other stakeholders should build co-operative linkages with farmers to catalyse a paradigm shift built on greater productivity; entrepreneurship and technology infusion into the nation’s farms; government should streamline taxes to encourage agric enterprises through incentives; and the government, in partnership with the private sector should also provide adequate training for farmers to ensure international best practice.

    Others were that CBOS, NGOs and co-operative societies should be used to mobilise and direct agriculture since they are based at the grassroots; government should lease out storage facilities like silos, scattered over the country to farmers on group basis; government should create a fund to finance long gestation agricultural projects and managed through private sector involvement; both the federal, state and local governments must increase budgetary allocation to agriculture by at least 10 per cent initially and 20 per cent subsequently; agricultural loans must be kept at single dignity through strengthening agricultural credit guarantee schemes including incorporating appropriate incentives; priority attention must be given to the provision and rehabilitation of basic infrastructure most especially water, road and power to promote agricultural growth; and that federal, state and local governments must explore investment opportunities in agriculture; and that only politicians with good agricultural policies should be elected.