AGRICULTURE Commodity Association Presidents, under the auspices of National Agricultural Commodities Project 2023, has asked President Bola Tinubu to ensure he engages members of the association in key agricultural positions in order to drive the sector in the right direction.
The group argued that since they are closer to the rural farmers who need government interventions to grow more food, they are in the better position to interact freely and effectively with the farmers.
Addressing journalists on Thursday in Abuja, Muhammed Alibaba, President of Livestock Feed Association, who spoke on behalf of other commodity association presidents, acknowledged that some progress were made by the past administration by making agriculture the centrepiece of their engagement.
He, however, the progress needs to be sustained by appointing presidents of the over 17 commodity associations in key agriculture agencies and ministry.
“Progress was made by the previous administration, where agriculture was a centrepiece of their engagements and it is turn for us now to move to the next level, not only in agricultural financing, but cultivation, warehousing, processing, manpower development, management of commodity boards and utilising agriculture for national development.
“With the progress, there also exist challenges and the challenges require real agricultural practitioners to help solve. That is why we as representatives of all commodities associations in Nigeria are asking that those with the experience and results of real engagement in agriculture over the decade to be saddled with the responsibility of managing agriculture in Nigeria,” Alibaba said.
He said as representatives of associations comprising farmers, producers, traders and other stakeholders involved in the agricultural value chain, they recognise the significant role that agriculture plays in the development of the nation.
Alibaba said with the recent strides made by the Nigerian government to prioritise agriculture and achieve self-sufficiency in food production, they believe that involving key players from the commodities association in decision-making process will further enhance the growth and success of the sector.
“By involving representatives from our association, we can ensure that the voices and interests of those working directly in the agriculture sector are adequately represented at all levels of policy formulation and implementation.
“We the representatives of the commodity associations will provide direct channel of communication between the government and the governed grassroots level by fostering a stronger partnership in driving sustainable agricultural development”, he noted.
He said these individuals can contribute to the formulation and execution of policies that promote market access, improve agricultural productivity, enhance value addition, agricultural industrialisation, facilitate access to financing and address issues such as post-harvest losses and market fluctuations.
He said the commodity associations believe that having dedicated representative from the them will facilitate a more inclusive and participatory decision-making process, leading to the overall growth and transformation of the agriculture sector in Nigeria.
They also urged President Tinubu to also consider the commodity associations presidents who have been members of All Progressives Congress presidential campaign council (APCPCC) in his appointments.
