AFAN President Backs Tinubu’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda, Supports Gov. Yusuf’s Second Term

The National President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Mr Farouk Rabiu-Mudi, has expressed support for the second-term bid of Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, describing his administration’s agricultural policies as beneficial to farmers and the state’s economic development.

Rabiu-Mudi stated this on Monday at a press conference in Kano, where he also reaffirmed AFAN’s support for President Bola Tinubu’s agricultural transformation agenda.

He said the association was satisfied with the commitment of the Federal Government and the Kano State Government to improving agricultural productivity, food security and farmers’ access to farmlands.

The AFAN president stressed that the partnership between the association and government was helping to address some of the challenges confronting farmers, particularly insecurity and limited access to agricultural land.

He said Nigeria had more than 70 million hectares of farmland, noting that some areas had previously become inaccessible to farmers due to insecurity, but that improved security was encouraging many farmers to return to their farms.

“The partnership between the Ministry of Defence and AFAN has suddenly become a game changer for our farmers, as many farmers are beginning to go back to their farmlands,” he said.

Rabiu-Mudi commended the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, for his support to farmers and internally displaced persons, adding that AFAN had recently conferred on him the title of Patron of the association.

He also disclosed that AFAN executives recently embarked on an agricultural study tour to Brazil, where they participated in the annual Cotrijal trade exhibition to identify innovations that could be adopted to improve agricultural production in Nigeria and support farming activities in IDP communities.

The AFAN president announced that the association would host the Nigerian-Brazilian International Agricultural Exhibition in collaboration with the Kano State Government and the Kano State Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA) in November.

He said the Federal Ministries of Agriculture and Food Security, Livestock Development, Industry, Trade and Investment, and Foreign Affairs were collaborating on the initiative aimed at transforming Nigeria’s agricultural and livestock sectors from subsistence to mechanised and commercial farming.

Rabiu-Mudi said stronger collaboration with Brazilian farmers, increased support for outgrower schemes and blended financing would boost agricultural productivity and contribute significantly to economic growth.

He said Nigeria possessed vast arable land and a large population of farmers willing to embrace commercial agriculture, stressing that the country could become a major agricultural hub in West Africa and an important exporter of farm produce.

The AFAN president commended the Federal Government for initiatives including the establishment of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, livestock development initiatives, the Blue Economy, the National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP), the Nigerian Agricultural Development Fund and funding for the Bank of Agriculture.

He urged farmers across the country to key into government agricultural initiatives and seek guidance and support from relevant agencies to promote food security, economic growth and national development.

Rabiu-Mudi also called on farmers to support President Tinubu’s agricultural transformation agenda, saying collective efforts by government, farmers and other stakeholders were necessary to unlock Nigeria’s agricultural potential.