Nigeria enlists in Integration project by Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research

Stakeholders present at the CGIAR Site Integration National Consultation Workshop held in Nigeria

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.