The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari has expressed the ministry’s readiness to partner with the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) and other stakeholders to revive the country’s cotton sub-sector.
The aim is to boost production, create jobs and tap into export opportunities.
During a recent meeting with the executive director of ICAC, Eric Trachtenberg and other relevant stakeholders at the ministry’s conference room in Abuja, Kyari revealed that the cotton ecosystem could create over 1.4 million jobs annually, aligning with the industrialisation policy of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The focus will be on developing key components of the cotton value chain, including farming, weaving, ginning, and linking of cotton. The minister expressed optimism that with ICAC’s technical expertise, the cotton sub-sector would be revived for sustainable economic growth and national development.
Kyari emphasised the intention to address the challenges in the sector that have discouraged farmers from cotton production, with the goal of optimising productivity in the cotton ecosystem.
Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Aliyu Abdullahi highlighted the importance of reviving the cotton and textile sub-sector, as the agricultural sector is the biggest employer of labour in the country.
In his welcome address, Trachtenberg pledged the organisation’s support to revamp Nigeria’s cotton value chain by offering expert advice to improve productivity, boost the value chain and facilitate investment.
A statement by the ministry’s director of information signed by Mabel Obe outlined the areas of collaboration, including the training of farmers and extension service workers, deployment of technologies and innovative solutions, among others.
