The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari has said that strategic investment in water and irrigation infrastructure is the critical enabler to transform subsistence farming into a thriving business - oriented enterprise.
According to him, it is the catalyst that would ensure higher yields, enhance nutrition through diversified crops, and create millions of jobs in the agricultural ecosystem.
The Minister made the remark during the Regional Hand-in-Hand Initiative Forum for the Sahel, held at Abuja Continental, Abuja.
Kyari advocated for a more strategic partnership that aligns with national plans and provides concessional financing and technical assistance for large-scale, Trans boundary water projects.
In a statement by Ezeaja Ikemefuna, Head, Department of Information, the Minister also called for robust collaboration ‘’fellow Ministers and leaders from the Sahelian region, Let harmonize policies and share best practices and investment in water and irrigation infrastructure as the foundation for agricultural transformation and food security in the Sahel region’’.
‘’Partner with us to develop irrigation infrastructure, modernize processing facilities, and bring innovation and technology to fields. The returns will be measured not only in profit, but in prosperity and stability for generations to come’’, he added.
The Minister stated that Saheliangovernmentss would create the enabling environment through progressive policies, land tenure reforms, infrastructure development, and incentives that de-risk the sector for private investment.
He noted that ‘’the FAO’s Hand-in-Hand Initiative provides the essential bridge we need. It offers a country-led, evidence-based, and matchmaking platform that connects national priorities and proven potential with the right investors and strategic partners’’.
‘’Thisinitiativee is singularly focused on accelerating progress by facilitating partnerships that work.
It is a collective tool to move from identification of problems to the implementation of bankable, scalable solutions’’.
He appealed to distinguished leaders of the private sector. " You are the engine of growth. We invite you to look at the Sahel not as a zone of risk but as the next frontier of opportunity. "
The forum convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has in attendance, Regional Ministers, Development Partners, International Financial Institutions, and Private Sector Leaders to chart a new course for sustainable agricultural development in the Sahel region.
The members of the Sahel region include Nigeria, Chad, Mail, Eritrea, Burkina Faso, Algeria ,Cape Verde, Mauritania, Gambia, Central African Republic and Cameroon