The permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, has emphasised the need for a strong partnership between the ministry and the media to achieve food security.
He made this call during a one-day workshop for agriculture correspondents, titled “Building Partnership with the Media for Food Security,” held in Abuja.
Ogunbiyi highlighted that the ministry’s mandate aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda, which aims to promote agricultural development, enhance food security, create jobs and improve the livelihoods of farmers.
He stated, “The press has significant power to change negative narratives. I encourage you to use this power to sensitise Nigerians and to inspire a renewed interest in agriculture. Together, we can feed ourselves and develop our nation.”
The permanent secretary also urged the media to support the ministry’s efforts by educating farmers about various farming methods, farm inputs, and effective agricultural practices to boost productivity. “Through your constructive engagement with the ministry, you will be in a unique position to inform farmers about methodologies, the availability of inputs, and how to access them to improve their yields,” he said.
In his welcome address, the director of the department of information, Dr. Joel Oruche stressed the importance of stronger collaboration, particularly given the current administration’s focus on food security. He remarked, “Your duty is to continuously educate the public on the policies, programs and activities of the ministry that affect farmers, especially smallholder farmers, who depend on your ability to inform them about methodologies, input availability and application techniques.
During his presentation, the national project coordinator for the National Agricultural Growth Scheme and Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP), Ishaku Buba outlined the mandate of the project, which includes increasing total food production to address the rising prices of agricultural commodities and making food more affordable for the average Nigerian. He mentioned the project’s goals, objectives and achievements, noting that a total of 647,500 farmers have registered across the 37 states, including the FCT, on the NAGS-AP platform since its launch for the 2023/2024 dry season, with 628,406 farmers receiving subsidised agricultural input packages.
In response, the chairman of the Agriculture Correspondents of Nigeria (ACAN), Mr. Collins Nnabuife commended the management for their support and urged technical directors to be more accessible for clarification of issues. He also requested that the media be included in programs outside Abuja and suggested the possibility of holding the workshop quarterly to keep them updated on developments in the agriculture sector.
A statement from the ministry’s director of information, signed by Mrs. Anthonia Eremah noted that the event featured presentations by the director of extension services, the director of rural development, the national project coordinator for NAGS-AP, and a representative from the director of mechanisation.
The workshop was attended by various agricultural correspondents from print, electronic media and online publications.
