In a bit to ensure proactive food security, the
Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) has listed
Nigeria to join other countries of the world towards ensuring an integrated
project site for proper alignment and harmonization of National and International
activities going in the country as related to farming.
The integrated site meeting which was the second
series organized by CGAIR was happened to have been the first of its kind in
Nigeria as her membership will step up the food security at the world level
with National agricultural stakeholders at all the value chains will be well
harmonized together to checkmate functions duplication with cost cutting for
proper efficient accountability in the sector generally. Countries before
Nigeria are Bangladesh,
Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Tanzania and Vietnam.
For the effectiveness
of this agricultural interface platform, the National Consultation Workshop for
the country was last month held at Abuja where stakeholders from all walks of
the member countries came together with residing researchers, international
partners, farmers, processors, private and public sectors in the food value
chains brain storming on the modus of project’s objectives and targets set by
Strategy and Result Framework (SRF).
The
workshop dwell much on the need for proper coordination and collaboration among
National programmes towards ensuring harmonization using the platform of integrated project site for effective
monitoring that the activities are well aligned for maximum impact and transparency
based on individuals suggestions.
Speaking
the IITA, Head, Abuja station, Dr. Gbassey Tarawale pointed the need for
activities harmonization of activities of stakeholders saying “We already have
the centers on ground” but working together creates more impact, visibility
better management of resources, gives room to key into the elements of site
integration which includes: sharing of facilities, sustainable mechanism for
collaboration, ongoing dialogue and engagement with partners and stakeholders,
collective meeting of goals and target of the SRF and clear country outcome,
alignment of (CGIAR Activities) and streamlining policy engagement, thereby
creating a STOPSHOP that will help the development of Agriculture.
The
National President, Maize Association of Nigeria (MAAN) Pastor. Tunji Adenola, noted
that the conferences should not be limited to discussing inputs for farmers
alone, but advocated for the involvement of them in the policy making while
they should be left to make choice of input for their farming activities
through door step availability “it’s not by purchasing these inputs for
farmers, thereby leaving them choice less but creating an avenue where they can
easily access the inputs by themselves”.
Mr.
Zidafamor E. Jimmy, a Deputy Director, seed coordination and management NASC said that site integration is very
strategic to demand driven approach to inputs thereby moving away from imposing
seeds or fertilizers on farmers saying there should be an extension of the
product to the end users without being kept in a centre to rot away stressed
the need for new varieties seeds that would boost production.
No comments:
Post a Comment