Readout of meeting between FAO Director-General QU Dongyu and Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, Minister of State, Budget and National Planning of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

27 July 2021, Rome - The FAO Director-General, QU Dongyu today met with Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, Minister of State, Budget and National Planning of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The Minister shared with the Director-General the country’s long term perspective and planning in regards to the agriculture sector. Specifically he conveyed the Medium-Term National Development Plan of 2021-2025 and 2026-2030. In this regard, he also shared Nigeria’s vision for the agriculture and food ecosystem to achieve at least a 10 percent annual growth rate, driven by the country’s vibrant entrepreneurs, leveraging technology and innovation to ensure the provision of affordable and nutritious food for the countries fast growing population. This has enabled Nigerian families to locally substitute at least 60 percent of current food imports and spend less than 40 percent of their household income on food.

Prince Clem Ikanade Agba also expressed the need for the country to have an integrated infrastructure development approach to ensure less post-harvest losses and improve rural infrastructure to encourage investment by small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs) and thus ensure an appropriate rural development to counteract the increased migration from these areas, while also supporting value chain improvements.

The Director-General congratulated and thanked the Minister for the country’s ambitious vision and planning. He underlined the need for agri-food systems transformation to be inclusive, resilient and sustainable. The Director-General also discussed with the Minister the country’s priority products, cassava and rice, noting the need for better production and how FAO would be able to provide the necessary technical expertise. The Director–General also advised the Minister of the importance of digitalization as a key component for innovation of the agriculture sector and as enabler for youth engagement.

The two recommitted to a strong partnership moving forward.