Tinubu Worried About High Prices Of Food In Nigeria — APC Chair

The National Chairman of the All-Progressive Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has stated that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is genuinely concerned about food insecurity in the country and is doing everything possible to ensure that all Nigerians have access to affordable and nutritious food on a sustainable basis.

Ganduje stated this while giving a keynote address during the 12th Joint Annual Meeting of the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS) and the Animal Science Association of Nigeria (ASAN) on Tuesday.

He therefore urged all stakeholders in the sector to join hands with the President as he “labours hard to reposition our agriculture sector for sustainable food security, within the framework of the Renewed Hope Agenda”.

The former Governor of Kano State noted that the Nigerian livestock sub-sector is very vital to the socio-economic development of the country and it represents an important source of high-quality animal protein, contributing 36.5 percent of the total protein intake of Nigerians.

He added that the livestock sector is a critical component of the economy that should be taken seriously as it contributes nearly 40 per cent of total agricultural output in developed countries and 20 per cent in developing ones, supporting the livelihood of at least 1.3 billion people worldwide.

To ensure that the sector grows, Ganduje proposed the country’s full commitment to research and innovation as twin tools for the development of our livestock.

“We advocate a Triple Helix Model that loops Research/Innovation with Industry/Development and Government Policy. Research is needed to drive development along the value chain of the livestock production system, from primary production to market, to the overall benefit of our national economy.

“Research is expected to support the development of animal agriculture in many ways, perhaps the most important being, the enhancement of livestock productivity which leads to a more efficient utilization of available resources,” he said.

Also speaking in his opening remark, NIAS President, Prof. Baba Abubakar, pledged that the Institute will work with all stakeholders from government, academia and, particularly, the industry, in order to be more impactful.

He added that the theme of the meeting, “Pathways to Addressing the Challenges of Climate Change in Animal Agriculture” was very apt, given the current global challenges facing Agri Food Systems and expressed hope that the meeting will bring about fruitful deliberations and renewed hope for the nation in terms of food security.

Earlier in his opening remark, the minister of state for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Aliyu Abdulahi assured that the ministry is promoting livestock programmes to bridge the gap between demand and supply of animal and animal products in the country.