The Federal Government of Nigeria has taken steps to incorporate Agricultural Insurance into its National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro- Pocket (NAGS-AP) programme, to mitigate agricultural risks and ensure food security.
Sen. Aliyu Abdullahi, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, stated this at a workshop on the implementation of the NAGS-AP programme on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, in Abuja.
The NAGS-AP, a Federal Government’s intervention programme for farmers, commenced in the 2023 dry season farming with wheat cultivation.
Abudullahi said the workshop was organised to educate stakeholders on the features and benefits of agricultural insurance for Nigerian farmers.
“We are gathered here to discuss and agree on incorporating agricultural insurance into the NAGS-AP programme which commenced in the 2023 dry season farming with wheat cultivation.
“So far, we have been fortunate to have favourable production due to good weather, resulting in a bountiful harvest.
“It is our objective and responsibility to protect the investment and interventions being made by the government and our financing partner, the African Development Bank (AfDB), via NAGS-AP.
“This is to address the sustainability and security of our local food systems, especially given our growing population,” he said.
He said that Nigeria is witnessing the clear and present existential threats of climate change and its impact on the country’s local food systems.
“It is evident that climate change is real, and it has therefore become inevitable to integrate insurance as a key component of our NAGS-AP programme to ensure sustainability and food security,” he said.
In a goodwill message, Mrs Folashade Joseph, the Managing Director, Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC), underscored the importance of insurance on agricultural activities in the dry and wet farming seasons to farmers.
She expressed the readiness of NAIC to continue to partner with stakeholders in agricultural and other sectors of the economy, with sound insurance and other risk management expertise.
“This is with a view to reducing risks bedeviling these ventures on one hand and improving national agricultural output as well as the attainment of food security on the other,” she said.
Earlier, the National Coordinator, NAGS-AP, Mr Ishaku Buba, said that the event was organised to expand the horizon of the NAGS pocket to change very vital segment like the agricultural insurance component to increase its package.
“The scheme’s desires is to broaden its operational horizon to carter and accommodate the interest of the farmers, and other relevant stakeholders operating along the production line of the chain,” he said.
By Doris Esa
