Nigeria’s House of Representatives demands for agriculture sector revitalization blueprint

House in session

Nigeria’s House of Representatives demand for agriculture sector revitalization blueprint
Latifat Afegbua, Abuja.

The House of Representatives has mandated the Ministry of Agriculture to and Rural Development to present to the National Assembly within two weeks a blueprint for the revitalization of the agriculture sector.

This was sequel to resolution of a motion on the need to revitalize the agricultural sector for sustainable national development.

Mover of the motion, Mr Orker jev, said that there is need for a blueprint that would out live the present government.

Revitalization of the sector

The House also expressed the desire for the revitalization of the sector to achieve the Millennium Development Goals and the transformation agenda of the present administration.

It noted that agriculture accounts for sixty percent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product before the discovery of oil.

The House further expressed worry over the threat of hunger and poverty occasioned by the neglect of agriculture as captured by the 2010 Millennium Development Goals report.

Rural agro-industrial sector

The report say about forty percent of Nigerians live below poverty line with attendant high youth unemployment implying Nigeria’s little prospect of achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

According to the motion, smaller holder farmers constitute eighty percent of all farm holdings in the country with inefficient and out dated production system which has made rural agro-industrial sector under developed and largely without significant institutional, technical and financial support.

The Minister of Agriculture is expected to present the blueprint to the National Assembly within two weeks.

Iheanacho