The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has inaugurated the Implementation Technical Committee on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and the National Agro-Allied Commodities Cooperatives of Nigeria. 

The initiative seeks to strengthen the agricultural value chain, foster corporate collaboration, drive economic growth, and create job opportunities for farmers.

Kyari, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Marcus Olaniyi Ogunbiyi, said in a statement on Thursday that the Federal Government would provide a supportive environment for agribusiness MSMEs to maximise their potential across production, processing, packaging, marketing, and distribution within the agriculture ecosystem.

 “The Ministry was committed to improve the agricultural value chains to unlock value for farmers with special focus on areas in which we have comparative advantage Kyari noted. 

He emphasised “the income generation by our farmers, increased trade and investment opportunities (locally and internationally), growth in foreign exchange earnings, job creation and poverty reduction.”

Highlighting the pivotal role of small-scale producers, Kyari stressed: “the aggregation of the produce of the micro, small, and medium producers are considered to be the economic pivots of any nation. Without the existence of the input or contribution of their produce, there can not be produce to showcase, which implies NO Agribusiness MSMEs, NO Nation.”

In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, represented by the Director of the Department of Agribusiness and Market Development, Iwara Bassey, said the committee’s mandate aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, which prioritises food security and economic growth in the agriculture sector.

Source: Punch