It gives me a great sense of duty to brief Nigerians today and our friends and partners in the Agriculture and Food Security sector on our way forward towards delivering on the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR and our strategies of operations over the next four years. My colleague the Honourable Minister of State and I are totally committed to providing the desired leadership direction to steer the agriculture and food security sector towards the attainment of the key priorities of the President’s 8-point Agenda which was unveiled on August 28, 2023 during the maiden Federal Executive Council meeting.

Since our assumption of office on 21st August 2023, we have received briefings from all the Departments and Agencies with a view to understanding where we are, what is on-going that is delivering the desired results and outcomes, and what needs to give way. Accordingly, we have examined what needs to change and what we need to do to re-align existing initiatives and programs that are on course to be in line with the four priorities of the renewed hope agenda that are core to the mandates of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. For the avoidance of doubt, the following Presidential Priorities are our core Agenda and are well aligned with the mandates and operations of our Ministry:

• Food Security
• Economic Growth and Job Creation
• Poverty Eradication

Inclusivity (Youths and Women) and enabling environment for individuals, groups, and the private sector to participate in governance and economic activities.

Undoubtedly, it must be noted that the execution of the programs and initiatives of the Ministry may have a tangential relationship to the remaining four priorities of the 8-point agenda of Mr. President and we are not unmindful of this. Indeed, we consider a multifaceted and multi-pronged approach to the attainment of our core objectives as a critical success factor. Accordingly, the Ministry shall engage with other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) and State Governments towards addressing all issues impacting the attainment of our national food security objectives.

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security under our watch shall be guided by some lessons learned in the implementation of the National Agricultural Technology and Innovation Policy (NATIP) which was launched for 2022 -2027. Many of the initiatives and programs being implemented by the Ministry from 2022 to date were the focus of our engagements with the Ministry staff. We also benefited from briefings on on-going projects by our Development Partners.

Accordingly, and going forward, all the programs and initiatives of the Ministry shall be completely aligned to attaining these four Presidential Priorities. In doing so, we are currently reviewing existing projects to ensure due diligence in achieving this alignment with minimal distortions while keeping confidence-building measures in place to get the total buy-in of our stakeholders as partners in progress.

To this end, the Ministry is in the process of carrying out a robust Stakeholder analysis that will produce a working stakeholder map showing who does what, where and how and what are the mutually beneficial areas for the small holder farmers, large scale farmers, processors, marketers and the organized Private Sector. This in itself will bring about resource-use efficiency while reducing duplication and wastages.

It is a known mantra that organizations are charged to think outside the box. We at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security have decided to think without the box if we are to achieve our mandates. This becomes more profound given the current state of our national food security for which President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR declared a national state of emergency on Thursday 13th July 2023. Indeed, the current state of food security is threatened by issues of availability and affordability. Furthermore, malnutrition and the rates of food inflation requires that we work all year round to ensure increased food production while putting in place measures to make food available, accessible, affordable, and of the right nutrition on a sustainable basis.

The underlying challenges noted above call for innovative and trending solutions which are better understood when we recount the challenges of insecurity, youth’s unemployment, and our increasing population and attendant competition for the same prime agriculture land for mass housing schemes and other competing developmental projects. Nigeria is expected to reach 400 million by 2050; which is just around the corner. That is not all. Indeed, climate change poses an even greater challenge as was noted by the President in his speech to the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) thus “Northern Nigeria is hounded by desert encroachment on once arable land. Our south is pounded by the rising tide of coastal flooding and erosion. In the middle, the rainy season brings floods that kill and displace multitudes”.

All these challenges require not just a change in tactics and approach but injection of new knowledge, innovations, skills, techniques, technology and value orientation. Furthermore, climate change is now a very high impact and high- likelihood event and we need to mitigate and plan for it if we are to guarantee sustainable food and nutrition security for Nigerians.

Ladies and gentlemen, I wish to specifically note that, President Ahmed Bola Tinubu GCFR has demonstrated total political will to transform the Agriculture and Food security of our dear country by not only changing the name to Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security but also making Food Security the number one presidential priority of his agenda. I, therefore, want to assure all our stakeholders that the issue of ‘political will’ as an impediment to policy actions is now a forgone issue.

Today, I am very pleased to present to you our focal areas that hinges on integration, sustainability, and resilience to our challenges. These span the immediate, short, medium, and long term as presented below:

The Immediate priority actions – ongoing to the end of 2023:

The most pressing actions we are currently handling is preparation for the next dry-season farming beginning from November 2023. To this end, some preparatory activities have been carried out and many others are at the advanced stage viz:

1. Certification of available planting materials for some food security crops in readiness for dry-season farming;
2. Aggressive promotion and preparations for dry season farming which commences from November this year;
3. Implementation of the dry season Wheat production starting in November 2023 as part of the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro Pocket (NAGS-AP) projects funded by the African Development Bank. Under this scheme, the target is to:
◦ produce wheat over a 70, 000 hectares across the wheat production zone of the country with an expected yield of 875,000 metric tonnes for our food reserve;
◦ blending of appropriate fertilizers to support this year’s dry season farming while making provisions for next year farming season well in advance;
◦ providing Train-the-Trainer for extension agents involved in dry season farming in collaboration with wheat producing States and other partners such as flour mills.
4. Furthermore, arrangements are also at advanced stage for dry season farming of rice, maize and other horticultural crops;
5. Hold the National Agriculture and Food Security Summit in November 2023 to bring all Stakeholders together for development of National Action Plan for Food Security with an implementation and sustainability strategy;
6. Hold the National Council for Agriculture and Food Security (NCAFS) Meeting in Cross River State in November 2023 to develop a strategic operational plan for Federal-State-Local Government joint implementation plans and strategies;
7. Review the mechanisms and processes for delivering fertilizers and agro pesticides input to farmers under a transparent and accountable regime. This will be part of the main agenda at both the Summit and the NCAFS meetings in November this year;
8. Distribute pasture seeds and cuttings for dry season pasture and fodder development for livestock productivity beginning November 2023.

Short–term priority actions (2023 – 2024)

1. Agriculture and Food Security Stakeholders’ analysis and mapping;
2. Make significant investment in animals feed-crop, fodder and pasture production as an antidote to the farmers and herders clashes by focusing the development of paddocks, foliage and fodder estates equipped with necessary facilities for all year round production;
3. Strengthen agriculture and food security institutions and repositioning them for the tasks ahead;
4. Reform the National Agricultural Research System to serve as the engine of growth for innovative solutions to strategic value chains, increase productivity -yields of our food security and export crops, livestock, and fisheries;
5. Establish 2 new national gene bank facilities, each for crop and animal respectively to conserve our fast-eroding genetic resources for food security.
6. Fast-track the take-off and operations of the National Agricultural Development Fund;
7. Develop a National Framework for proper coordination and alignment of all ongoing and future development partners’ projects to our national priorities.
8. Develop innovative communication, monitoring, evaluation, learning and accountability platforms that guarantees continuous interface among all the critical stakeholders to ensure 24/7 engagements and field reporting. ICT tools will be deployed to support these platforms for the facilitation of e-extension services at scale.
9. Develop a stakeholder Engagement and Communication Strategy for Agriculture and Food Security;
10. Develop a new strategy for strengthening agricultural infrastructure and provision of support to our new farm types (which shall be unveiled before the end of the year);
11. Prepare a Joint Action Plan with the Federal Ministry of Water Resources to unlock the huge irrigation potentials of the River Basins Development Authorities and other flood plains in the country to guarantee all year round food production. It is very important to note the directives of Mr. President when he declared the national state of emergency on food security thus: “There must be an urgent synergy between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Water Resources to ensure adequate irrigation of farmlands and to guarantee that food is produced all year round.” It is on this note that the Ministry shall make strategic investment in renewable irrigation solutions like solar-powered irrigation pumps for small-holder farmers.
12. Conduct a comprehensive review of all existing agricultural laws and legislation to fast-track necessary amendments and enactments to support farmers’ welfare and private sector participation in agriculture and food security;
13. Develop a standard framework and guide for ‘Ease of Doing Agriculture and Food Security (EDAFS)’ operations/projects/business in Nigeria;
14. Identify all available vacant farmlands in various Federal Government Institutions (Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education, Unity Schools, federally owned regimented areas like the military, police and para-military allocated vacant arable lands) to bring them into food production to enhance our food security indices;
15. Collaborate and partner with states to revive secondary school farms to enhance food security and agri-business enterprises;
16. Promote urban agriculture that is technology-enabled and especially driven by innovations and the passions of our teeming youths;
17. Enhance the implementation of the National Livestock Transformation Plan for increased productivity and job creation;
18. Deepen engagement between farmers, herders, traditional institutions and communities to promote peaceful coexistence and conflict resolution;
19. Develop and promote a performance based agricultural extension system;
20. Promote the establishment of agricultural marketing incubation centres (Agribusiness Development Centres) for youth and women across the ix (6) geo-political zones;
21. Capacity building to strengthen the farm inputs regulatory functions to enable them play their regulatory role to checkmate the infiltration of adulterated farm inputs i.e. fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides etc;
22. Institutionalization in the Ministry and consolidation of Nigerian Food System Dashboard for informed quality planning, policy decision and information dissemination on the state of food and nutrition in the Country.
23. Ensure the development of a robust and sustainable innovation ecosystem, a call for application for agronnovation enterprise and venture development competition targeting Nigerian youths is being developed.

Medium term actions – 2024 -2026

1. Development of digital/ICT Mobile-based Agro-industry System and E-extension platforms to support farmers through the establishment of the national centres in the 6 agro-ecological zones of Nigeria while the command and control office will be here in Abuja ;
2. Meat, dairy, eggs, fish and other protein from animal sources will receive our special intervention to increase productivity target of annual growth rate of 10% year on year;
3. Our interventions will accelerate the uptake of Minimum Viable Products from our institutions and agencies in the agricultural mechanization and implements production space in Nigeria for full commercialization by the private sector investment
4. Development of comprehensive soil fertility mapping and soil information system for food security;
5. Development and implementation of the National Farmers Soil Health Card Scheme to increase productivity;
6. Up-scaling and Out-scaling of various agricultural value chain projects in crops, livestock, fisheries and support services under the annual appropriation and special interventions;
7. Using Fintech solutions, wallets shall be created for all financial disbursements to deliver directly to the targeted end users. Priority shall be given to the use of digital and DEFI solutions to reform Bank of Agriculture and Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation among others;
8. Conduct standard feasibility and viability studies for commodity board operations in Nigeria;
9. Set up world class accredited laboratories in our Research Institutes that will receive and be governed by international standard organization -ISO certification and other regional, continental and international permits to validate the quality of our exports and certification before shipment.
10. Develop a new Intergovernmental partnership framework for the implementation of mutually beneficial agricultural projects between Federal, State and Local governments;
11. Strengthen Commodity Exchange for agriculture in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment;
12. Revive and promote home economics and food and nutrition knowledge transfers and practices at the State and Local Governments level under the watch of the First Lady of the Federal Republic and First Ladies at State levels for food and nutrition security;
13. Development and promotion of cooperative models for impactful agricultural development across the various agriculture value-chains;
14. Promotion and strengthening of Agro-Rangers to include other paramilitary to assist in solving the problems of civil insecurity at the farm level.

Long Term actions – 2024 -2027

1. Development of a national agricultural database for planning and implementation of agriculture and food security programs and initiatives. We are committed to working with relevant MDAs, private sector and international development partners to co-create a functional digital transformation platforms that will facilitate data driven precision farming, climate resilience and smart agricultural practices including e-extension services;
2. Carryout technology/ICT enabled farms and farmers enumeration and mapping in collaboration with states, local governments and development partners;
3. Repositioning the Universities of Agriculture, Veterinary Medicines and Faculties of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicines to play key roles in our agricultural transformation through the development of practical approaches for production and mechanization;
4. We are set to unlock the job creation potentials of cold chain systems by encouraging private sector participation in community cold chain enterprises. The target is to incentivize the establishment of new food storage ventures across the country with direct and indirect new job creation.
5. Reform and remodel the Federal Colleges of Agriculture (FCAs) and the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) to focus on vocational skills development & management training for agriculture and food security issues;
6. Development of critical mass of agricultural breeders (crops, livestock, and fisheries) and other emerging knowledge areas in ICT for agriculture (smart agriculture) to position our agricultural production system for the challenges of feeding an increasing population under scarce and challenged resource base;
7. Provide support for acquiring advanced laboratories equipment to drive new One health approach for veterinary practices while ensuring collaboration with human health practitioners and researchers to achieve Nigeria’s One health.
8. Establishment of new agro tourism hubs where our farms and national agricultural heritage can be made to create new wealth and jobs. Our target is to strengthen existing investments and encourage the youth and the practitioners/ investors in the hospitality industry to establish new agro tourist centres across the country.
9. Review of existing curriculum for all fields of agriculture in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission (NUC) National Board of Technical Education(NBTE) and the National Commission for Colleges of Education towards the production of future agricultural graduates that are prepared for the next generation of agriculture (Agriculture 4.0);
10. Establishment of Animal Disease Free Zones and of compartmentalization for export of livestock and livestock product;
11. Conduct a scientific migratory pattern studies on migratory birds (pest) to develop intervention map and mitigation measures for the control of trans boundary pests;
12. Stabilization of feed and other input products and prices in poultry value chain;
13. Strengthening the Community of Practice (CoP) for knowledge exchange and sharing of experiences to promote innovation and best practices amongst Federal, State and Local Government officials involved in agriculture and food security
14. Promote viable agricultural mechanization enterprises sand services such as the tractor and equipment e-hailing hiring services at the State and Local Government levels to enhance tractorization.
15. Establishment of multipurpose Input Resources & Communication Centres (IRCC) across the country in phases. The centres will ensure transparent and accountable last mile delivery of agricultural inputs while creating effective communication platform and co-location of e-extension services digital platforms. This will create huge job opportunities for Nigerian youths and women.

Ladies and gentlemen, we also have examined the operating environment and want to be guided by the following critical success factors:
• Farmers, producers, processors, and marketers shall be given capacity building to increase skill set, and technical know-how for enhance productivity and to reduce wastages;
• Partnerships and collaborations anchored on trust and mutually beneficial schemes. Evidence-based results and factual engagements will drive the processes with all stakeholders;
• Staff capacity building in projects monitoring, evaluation, accountability, and learning framework with emphasis on ICT and digital technology use for efficiency and high performance;
• Reviving the Agriculture Departments of Local Government Areas such that in strong and mutually beneficial relations with State’s Ministries of Agriculture and Food Securities/Rural Development we shall usher in a renewed working pact under a new Joint Agricultural Project Implementation Committees (JAPIC) at the State Level and Joint Project Implementation Task Teams (JAPITT) at the Local Government Levels. This will be achieved with the support of the National Economic Council under the Office of the Vice President and the National Council for Agriculture and Food Security under our Ministry;

The Local Governments Departments of Agriculture to serve as the core- operational hub of projects implementation with buy-in and ownership being built up across the project life cycle; bringing agriculture and food security matter to the grassroots.

My distinguished audience and gentlemen of the Press, to kick off on the journey to our shared and collective prosperity, permit me to use this medium to announce the First National Agriculture and Food security Summit scheduled to hold in November 2023. The summit is essentially programmed to enlist the interest and support of all the actors in Nigeria’s agriculture and food security space in our bid to create the future of affordable and safe nutritious foods while focusing on farmers’ welfare. The summit shall be Chaired and declared opened by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu GCFR, where he is expected to make specific declarations and outline the expected call to action for all the stakeholders with clear metrics. I will be highly honored to be your host and in the coming weeks, the summit portal will be launched to kick-start the pre-summit activities.

In closing, let me use this opportunity on behalf of myself and my colleague, the Honourable Minister of State Senator Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi CON, to thank Mr. President for this rare opportunity to lead the renewed efforts for our agriculture and food security sector. I also further extend our appreciation to the Permanent Secretary, Management, Staff, Development Partners, organized private sectors and other stakeholders for their cooperation and support in our developmental efforts. I also appreciate the various assurances offered to work with us to attain this mandate. With your massive support, we are set to change the narrative of our agriculture and food security sector for the benefits of our renewed food security and welfare of Nigerian farmers.
Ladies & gentlemen of the press, I thank you all. Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Thank you and God Bless.

With Palatehub’s goal of applying information technology to crop and livestock production, specializing in post-harvest storage and light manufacturing, it is crucial to always reflect on the efficiency and effectiveness of the company’s practices and their long-term sustainability.

The BRACE Programme: Objectives and Structure

The BRACE programme, launched by the African Food Changemakers, is a comprehensive three-month capacity development initiative. Its primary objective is to equip agriSMEs with the knowledge and tools to build resilience against climate and environmental shocks. The program encompasses a hybrid learning experience, combining training, peer-learning, and practical applications. Its content focuses on critical areas such as climate change awareness, adaptation and mitigation strategies, climate financing opportunities, and sustainable solutions for scaling agribusinesses.

Learning Outcomes from the BRACE Programme

Palatehub’s participation in the BRACE programme, represented by its Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer, Opeyemi Alaran, yielded valuable insights. The learning outcomes were applied to the company’s Ginger Farming Division and looked into the existing sources of greenhouse gas emissions in ginger farming, emphasizing the need for sustainable practices. The programme helped produce a comprehensive action plan for climate-smart agricultural practices within the company, covering aspects from soil and water management to eco-friendly packaging. The company is fully committed to reducing food loss in ginger farming through innovative strategies showcased in the BRACE Programme.

A Wonderful Journey with BRACE: A Thank You

With the conclusion of the BRACE programme 2023, Palatehub expresses gratitude to the African Food Changemakers for organizing such a transformative initiative. The programme has not only allowed Palatehub to benchmark its climate-smart activities but also provided actionable insights and strategies for enhancing sustainability. The structured learning, community engagement, and emphasis on practical applications have been instrumental in shaping Palatehub’s approach to climate-resilient agriculture.

The BRACE programme stands as a testament to the power of collaborative efforts in fostering sustainability within the agricultural sector. Palatehub looks forward to implementing the knowledge gained, contributing to a more resilient and climate-smart future for the agribusiness landscape in Nigeria. Congratulations to the organizers for a successful program that is set to leave a lasting impact on the participants and the wider agricultural community.

Geospatial analysis can be used in a variety of fields, including environmental science, urban planning, public health, transportation, and business. It can be used to identify spatial patterns, relationships, and trends; to model and simulate real-world scenarios; to optimize resource allocation and management; and to support decision-making processes.

Some common techniques used in geospatial analysis include spatial clustering, spatial interpolation, spatial regression, spatial autocorrelation, and network analysis. These techniques can be applied to different types of geospatial data, such as point data, line data, polygon data, raster data, and 3D data.

Geospatial analysis has a significant relevance in agriculture, especially in crop production, as it can help farmers and agricultural organizations make more informed decisions related to crop management. Here are some examples of how geospatial analysis can be used in agriculture:

Overall, geospatial analysis is a powerful tool that can help organizations and individuals make more informed decisions based on spatial data. It can be a valuable tool for farmers and agricultural organizations, helping them make more informed decisions related to crop production, and contributing to more efficient and sustainable agriculture practices.

Palatehub and EnrichGeo Technologies Solutions collaborated to provide geospatial analysis for the SheFarmers Initiative in its Lekki, Lagos location. The SheFarmers Initiative is aimed at providing an enabling environment for female agri-entrepreneurs to thrive in Africa by promoting education, technology, and financial inclusion. The geospatial analysis provided by Palatehub and EnrichGeo will help the SheFarmers Initiative to identify the most suitable crops to grow in the Lekki area.

The geospatial analysis recommends the growth of horticultural crops such as pomegranate, guava, custard apple, tamarind, and dragon fruit. These crops are wasteland friendly and can thrive in soil that is not suitable for other crops. Additionally, pulses such as chickpea, pigeon pea, and black and green gram are recommended because they have a deep root system, require low nutrient and water, and are resistant to pests and diseases. The Millet family, including sorghum, proso, pearl, finger, and foxtail, are also recommended because they are drought-resistant and can grow in low-water conditions.

Agronomical crops such as cassava, plantain, yam, sweet potato, and groundnut are also recommended as they are suited to the local climate and soil conditions. Depending on the soil permeability, coconut or palm may also be suggested. If the soil has accumulated calcium carbonate and gypsum, soil reclaim may be needed during land preparation.

The geospatial analysis provided by Palatehub and EnrichGeo is an excellent example of how technology can be used to support sustainable agriculture practices. By identifying the most suitable crops for the Lekki area, the SheFarmers Initiative can optimize yields, reduce waste, and improve profitability. Additionally, the recommendations for drought-resistant crops and crops that require low nutrient and water will help the farmers to adapt to the changing climate conditions.

If you would like to learn more about the Geospatial Analysis services, complete this inquiry form – http://palatehub.com/surveys/form/4/enquire-about-geospatial-analysis.html

Unfortunately, many of these women still use old-fashioned methods, which expose them to health hazards. The She Farmers Initiative (SFI) is a global initiative for African women, established in Nigeria on June 8th, 2021, to provide and advocate for women in the agricultural sector for food sustainability. SFI seeks to create an enabling environment for female agri-entrepreneurs to thrive in Africa. Their mission is to provide support for improved agricultural business, adequate infrastructure support for rural women farmers, promote education, technology, and financial inclusion for women in the agricultural business, improve agricultural processing through advanced technology and world best practice, transform women from the informal to the formal sector, create a market for agro-commodities and reduce post-harvest losses, and provide financial inclusion and literacy for women in the agricultural sector.

In line with its mission to promote sustainable agriculture, Palatehub is proud to partner with SFI as part of its “Grow and Replicate Agro Communities” initiative. At Palatehub, we believe that sustainable agriculture is not just about profits but also about building strong communities. As such, our capacity-building services are tailored to the specific needs of each community, association, or cooperative they work with. We facilitate knowledge sharing among farmers and provide continuous support to ensure they have the tools and resources needed to succeed. Our market access services provide analysis, networking, and supply chain optimization, enabling farmers to connect with buyers, distributors, and other stakeholders in the industry. Contact Palatehub today to learn more about how they can help you build a sustainable future for your community.

SFI will be inaugurating its Ekiti State chapter on the 11th of May 2023, and Palatehub is proud to be a partner of SFI in its efforts to empower women in the agricultural sector.

Throughout the program, we were able to learn from industry experts and connect with like-minded individuals. We had the opportunity to meet fantastic mentors, directors, and co-founders who shared their knowledge and experience with us. The mentorship was invaluable, and we were able to learn from experienced professionals who have already navigated the challenges of starting and scaling businesses.

The program was intense, with weekly sessions that covered everything from customer discovery to fundraising. We learned how to conduct market research, develop a minimum viable product, and pitch our ideas to investors. The program provided us with the skills and knowledge we need to succeed.

Now that we have graduated from the program, we are excited to put all that knowledge to use. As a company, we focus on crop and livestock production, post-harvest storage and light manufacturing. We aim to increase productivity, product diversification and better market access.

We are grateful for the support and guidance of everyone who helped us throughout the program. As we move forward, we can rely on the support of the mentors, directors, and co-founders we met during the program.

Overall, our graduation from the Founder Institute‘s Food Ecosystem Fall 2022 program marks the beginning of a new chapter for Palatehub. We are excited about the future and the impact we can make in the agriculture industry.

The project is in line with the mandate of SMEDAN to stimulate, monitor and coordinate the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria. The mapping of the poultry sector in Lagos, Nigeria will provide real time data to ensure more effective advocacy and business development services to resolve the challenges impeding the growth of the sector.

In addition to SMEDAN, Palatehub, and ICC-CoE, other stakeholders present at the meeting were from the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, the Lagos State Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperative, the Poultry Association of Nigeria and Big Dutchman Nigeria.

During the meeting, Stakeholders expressed the urgent need for real time data on the poultry sector for policy design and implementation especially in the areas of job creation and public health. Although there were concerns expressed with regards to the scope of the project, the general consensus was to proceed with a pilot project on a public-private-partnership basis.

ICC-CoE, represented by Mrs. Bunmi Osuntuyi, the Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Commerce Nigeria, expressed support for the project. She explained that the objective of the ICC-CoE is to inspire future entrepreneurs; digitize SMEs; scale up startups; and foster inclusive entrepreneurship.

To conclude the meeting, Stakeholders agreed that SMEDAN and Palatehub will develop a workplan and convene a second meeting of stakeholders to launch to data-gathering aspects of the project.

The project which is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 5: Women Empowerment and Gender Equality was also facilitated and supported by the Uyo Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (UYOCCIMA) and Palatehub.

Addressing the farmers, the field representative of Zowasel, Mrs. Priscilla Charles Udoh explained that Smallholder farmers in Akwa Ibom State are yet to significantly increase their yield per hectare, as the State still records the lowest among its peers.This she said has happened despite the enormous potential in Akwa Ibom’s agricultural sector.

She pointed out that Smallholder farmers have limited access to improved seeds and seedlings, machinery, and training. As a result, farm yields and farmers’ income has remained perpetually low, thus making the sector unattractive to the younger population.

Over 150 women drawn from across the ten political wards in Okobo attended the training and expressed their willingness to participate in the practical training which will commence soon.

Victor Paul Unoh | First Media NaijaTV | Uyo
victorunoh@gmail.com