FG Inaugurates Committee to Address Agric Sector Challenges

Gilbert Ekugbe

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in its bid to accelerate Nigeria’s attainment of food security, has inaugurated the Local Organising Committee (LOC) that would address the myriads of challenges hindering the nation’s agricultural sector.

The inauguration of the committee was performed by the Permanent Secretary of the FMARD, Mr. Ernest Umakhihe, who explained that the inauguration was also for the 45th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Rural Development (NCARD), slated for Jos, Plateau State in September that is charged to address critical issues affecting the development and management of the country’s agricultural sector.

Umakhihe stated that agriculture is a critical sector that touches livelihoods and needed all the necessary attention it deserved to make it economically efficient, effective as well as achieve food and nutrition security.

He pointed out that the council was expected to fully explore the possibility of using the unique platform provided by the forthcoming NCARD to develop workable policies and strategies that would enable the ministry to deliver on its mandate to the nation by creating sustainable impacts in the agricultural sector of the economy.  

In his words: “The council will play important roles towards enhancing the efforts of the present administration’s agenda of uplifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years and also meeting the expectations of the government and the general populace are high.”

He tasked the LOC to ensure that everything is put in place for a seamless meeting of the council as well as to track the implementations of the resolutions of last year’s Council meeting as one of the major priorities.

He stated that the 45th regular meeting would hold from Tuesday, September 13 to Saturday September 17, 2022, in Jos, Plateau State.

In his welcome address, the Director, Planning and Policy Coordination Department, Mr. Ibrahim Bello, thanked the permanent secretary for his support and contributions towards the inauguration of the committee and pledged that the committee would work assiduously to achieve its set objectives.

The term of reference of the LOC is to put in place necessary arrangements to facilitate successful conduct of the council’s meeting and to provide adequate and efficient secretariat to guarantee smooth conduct and accurate documentation of all proceedings.