Victoria Mbangwa
In a bold push to transform rural economies, the Federal Government has launched a new initiative to strengthen Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, aiming to boost farmers’ incomes, create jobs, and drive food security.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, through his representative, Permanent Secretary Dr. Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, inaugurated the Implementation Technical Committee on MSMEs and the National Agro-Allied Commodities Cooperatives of Nigeria (NACCON) at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
The committee will focus on enhancing the agricultural value chain from production to processing, packaging, marketing, and distribution while positioning rural farmers to benefit from both local and international markets.
“We are committed to improve the agricultural value chains to unlock value for farmers (MSMEs) with special focus on areas in which we have comparative advantage by providing interventions in different commodity value chains and development of rural infrastructure for food production’,” Kyari stated.
He emphasized that MSMEs form the backbone of agricultural productivity. “Without the contribution of small producers, there would be nothing to showcase. No agribusiness MSMEs, no nation,” he stressed.
The ministry said the plan aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the agriculture sector, designed to foster economic growth, generate foreign exchange, and reduce poverty.
On behalf of the committee, Hon. Julius Akam pledged to work tirelessly to deliver results, thanking the ministry for bringing key stakeholders together for what he described as “a national economic assignment.”
With Nigeria grappling with food security challenges, the government hopes this MSME-focused approach will not only keep food on tables but also put money in the pockets of millions of rural households.
