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Daniel Adaji, Abuja
The Federal Government has secured an emergency loan of 12bn Japanese Yen (approximately N70bn) from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to empower the agricultural sector under the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket.
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.
Kyari commended JICA for its support, stating that the facility will be used to enhance rice seed quality, improve farm input delivery, and strengthen private sector participation in agricultural production.
“The rice seeds production project was domiciled in the National Cereal Research Institute (NCRI), Badeggi, Niger State, under the Ministry was strategic in enhancing the research and development for breeding of high-yield, disease-resistant varieties that can withstand climate variability,” Kyari said.
He emphasised that knowledge dissemination is equally as important as seed quality improvement.
“While enhancing seed quality is crucial, we recognize that knowledge dissemination is equally important. Our partnership on market-oriented agriculture promotion with JICA on the Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment and Promotion project from 2020 to 2024, covering 14 states in Nigeria, has empowered smallholder farmers and has served as a bridge between research and practice, ensuring that farmers are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive,” he stated.
Kyari also highlighted plans to leverage technology in extension services.
“The Ministry will leverage technology to enhance extension services, using mobile applications to provide real-time information on weather patterns, market prices, and pest outbreaks to make informed decisions and adapt to challenges more swiftly,” he added.
Speaking on the importance of food security, the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abdullahi Aliyu, stressed the role of quality seeds in agricultural productivity.
“The seed issue was very key because President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has always said ‘plant the right seed, then you can feed the entire nation, so seed is key to our food security problems,’” he noted.
The Director General of the Economic Development Department at JICA, Mr. Takao Shimokawa, expressed gratitude for the long-standing collaboration between the agency and the Nigerian government.
He reaffirmed JICA’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s agricultural sector. “JICA would continue to prioritize the collaboration towards ensuring economic prosperity and food security in Nigeria, noting that JICA is fully aligned to the Ministry’s mandate,” Shimokawa said.
He also announced that the first disbursement of the loan had already been made.
“Today, I take advantage to report the recent progress of JICA assistance in the agricultural sector in three key areas to include food security, announcing that the first disbursement of the loan has been paid yesterday,” he revealed.
The Director General further assured that JICA and Japan remain committed to rice production in Africa, particularly in Nigeria.
“JICA and Japan are fully committed to rice production in Africa particularly in Nigeria which is the largest producer of rice, pointing out that the new grant project would provide the machinery for rice production which procurement process is about to commence,” he said.