SATURDAY, 16th October, 2021: The Federal Government has stated that the agricultural sector has lifted about 4.21 million Nigerians out of poverty in the past two years.
The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammad Mahmood disclosed this on Friday, during a ministerial press briefing in Abuja to celebrate the 2021 World Food Day in Abuja.
According to him, "Through our various empowerment initiatives along production, processing and marketing of agricultural commodities, we have lifted a total of 4,205,576 Nigerians out of poverty in the last two years.
“This is going to continue as part of Mr. President’s promise to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty within the next 10 years.”
Speaking in the area of capacity building, Mahmood noted that a total of 2,205,576 farmers, comprising youths and women, were being trained and empowered on different agricultural value chains.
He added that the National Accelerated Fish Production Programme had ensured that a total of 783,102 metric tonnes of fish were cultivated via the exploration of marine resources in Deep Sea/Exclusive Economic Zone and the exploration of inland water bodies by fish farmers and fishermen.
According to the minister the agricultural sector would increase its contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product from 23 per cent to 50 per cent in the next 10 years.
He said, "With concerted effort of agro-entrepreneurs, I am very optimistic that the contribution of agriculture to the Nigerian economy will increase exponentially from 23 per cent to over 50 per cent in the next 10 years."