The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to agricultural reforms aimed at bolstering production and improving soil management practices.
Shettima spoke on Tuesday in Abuja during the launch of an agricultural initiative tagged ‘Soil Values’.
In 2023, the Food and Agriculture Organisation said 26.5 million Nigerians might face a food crisis between June and August 2024.
The international body said states, such as Borno, Sokoto, and Zamfara, including the Federal Capital Territory, were at a bigger risk.
Supported by the Dutch Directorate-General for International Cooperation and spearheaded by the International Fertiliser Development Centre, Soil Values aims to tackle soil fertility issues, foster sustainable agricultural development over the next decade, and uplift the livelihoods of 1.5 million small-scale food producers.
Shettima, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Agribusiness and Productivity Enhancement, Kingsley Uzoma, underscored the pivotal role of agriculture in the nation’s economy, noting that it contributes 24 per cent to the GDP.
He stressed the urgent need to confront issues such as land degradation, erosion, and drought, particularly in the Sahel region.
