The president, African Development Bank (AfDB) Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina has said Nigeria is on its priority list of nations that will benefit in the $1.5 billion Africa Emergency Food Production Plan (AfEFPP) meant to checkmate high food prices.
This program according to the Special Adviser (SA) to the President, Mr. Femi Adesina is to support countries in the African continent to produce food rapidly against effects of Russia/ Ukraine war on food prices.
It was said by AfDB president, Dr. Adesina that 5 million small scale farmers across 10 northern states would be supported to cultivate 500,000 hectares of wheat, as emergency food overall of 9.5 million metric tons of food is expected for the 2022/23 wet season.
" Nigeria is top priority under the emergency food plan. For the wet season of 2022, the plan will support 5 million smallholder farmers in Nigeria. They will cultivate 2.5 million hectares: one million hectares for maize, one million hectares for rice, 250,000 hectares for soybeans, and 250,000 hectares for sorghum"
Dr. Adesina was said to have told president Buhari that AfDB would support Nigeria to develop Special Agro- Industrial Processing Zones adding that " we have helped to mobilize $540 million for the program. The AfDB has approved a total of $210 million. The Islamic Development Bank, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) have approved $170 million, and $160 million respectively towards the program"
" The Special Agro- Industrial Processing Zones will be initially rolled out in 7 states: Kano, Ogun, Oyo, Kaduna, Kwara, Imo, Cross River and FCT"
President Buhari thanked Dr. Adesina who had visited him at the villa, asked him to work with the right ministers, saying the Nigerian borders' closure for two years have positively protected our local farmers against food smuggling into the country.
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