News in brief:
-Â The Nigerian government has entered into a strategic partnership with the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) to address agricultural challenges and enhance food security.
– Nigeria aims to leverage the Netherlands’ agricultural expertise to promote sustainable practices, boost food production, and strengthen key aspects of the sector.
In a significant move to address critical agricultural challenges and ensure food security, the Nigerian government has announced a partnership with the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV).
The partnership was formalised during a meeting between Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Nigeria’s Minister of Budget and National Planning, and Simon O’Connell, Chief Executive Officer of SNV.
During the meeting, Minister Bagudu emphasised the importance of the partnership in aligning with the Nigerian government’s sustainable solutions agenda for critical sectors of the economy. He highlighted the Netherlands’ expertise in agriculture, particularly food security, and expressed confidence that their assistance would be instrumental in addressing the country’s agricultural challenges.
O’Connell, in response, expressed SNV’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s agricultural development goals and ensuring food security for its citizens. He mentioned his organisation’s three core areas of sectoral focus â agriculture, water, and energy â and their proven track record of success in these sectors globally.
SNV has been in Nigeria since 2020 and in 2022, it claimed to have supported 110,000 smallholder farmers in the country to increase their production and income through agribusiness partnerships. These beneficiaries were active in onion, palm oil, dairy, groundnut, maize, sorghum and cassava value chains.
This latest partnership is also expected to focus on several key areas, including promoting sustainable agricultural practices, enhancing food production and productivity, improving access to markets and finance to farmers and strengthening the capacity of agricultural institutions.
It is seen as a critical step towards achieving Nigeria’s food security goals and ensuring a sustainable agricultural future for the country.
