There are 5.7 million registered farmers in Nigeria, the Federal Government has said.
This is coming on the heels of the completion of the registration exercise of farmers in the country.
The Federal Government said the registration exercise was in a bid to bring the farmers across the country closer to the government.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono disclosed this this recently at a General Assembly of Farmers organised by the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Kano.
According to the Minister, the effort was to ensure that genuine farmers were brought closer to the government so that they can enjoy government support directly.
He commended AFAN for organising the General Assembly of Farmers, urging the national leadership of the association to carry all their members along.
Nanono also called on the farmers to be more organised so that they can work together towards the development of the agricultural sector in the country.
The Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje in his remarks at the occasion enjoined members of the association to redouble their efforts towards boosting economic development for national progress.
Ganduje who was represented by his deputy, Alhaji Nasiru Yusuf-Gawuna, called on the farmers to ensure that their voice is heard all over the country particularly through programmes aimed at improving agricultural activities.
His words: “The General Assembly of Farmers should be seen as an avenue for contributing to nation building and should be commensurate with the size of the membership strength of AFAN. As the farmers in this country constitute at least 70 per cent of the population.”
The governor promised that the state government would continue to partner with farmers in the promotion of agricultural activities especially irrigation farming.
According to him, his administration had introduced new technologies and ideas to prevent losses in the farming sector.
The Caretaker President of AFAN, Alhaji Faruk Rabi’u-Mudi, said the association has been re-organised from the grassroots to the national level.
According to Rabi’u-Mudi, AFAN has also embarked on the integration of commodity associations into its structure.
Rabi’u-Mudi revealed that his leadership has distributed farm inputs worth over N100 million to farmers through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Continuing, he said: “We have also acquired office accommodation at the Central Business District of Abuja, and we have also entered into partnership with a Chinese firm to invest in rice, soya beans and maize production.”
The highpoint of the occasion include presentation of awards to President Muhammadu Buhari, Ganduje, Yusuf-Gawuna, and Nanono, among others.
