AFAN President Urges Farmers to Support Tinubu’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda

The National President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Farouk Rabiu Mudi, has called on farmers nationwide to support the agricultural transformation agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Mudi made the call at a press conference in Kano,where he highlighted the association’s partnership with the Federal Government in efforts to address food security and transform Nigeria’s agriculture and livestock sectors.

He said Nigeria had more than 70 million hectares of farmland, noting that coordinated security efforts by the present administration had enabled many farmers who previously abandoned their farms due to insecurity to return.

According to him, the partnership between AFAN and the Federal Ministry of Defence has also contributed to the improvement of security around farming communities and the return of displaced persons to their homes.

Mudi commended the Minister of Defence, retired Gen. Christopher Musa, for his support to farmers, noting that AFAN recently conferred on him the title of Patron of the association in recognition of his contributions.

He said the partnership also facilitated an agricultural study tour to Brazil for some AFAN executives, where they participated in the annual Cotrijal trade exhibition to explore innovations that could support farmers returning to their farms and improve livelihoods in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.

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

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 agriculture and livestock production from subsistence to mechanised farming.

Mudi said the proposed collaboration with Brazilian farmers, alongside the Federal Government’s plans to expand out-grower schemes and blended financing, would help boost agricultural productivity, improve farmers’ incomes and strengthen Nigeria’s position in regional agricultural production.

He said AFAN was also working with state governments, private sector operators and development partners to strengthen agricultural extension services and support smallholder farmers.

The association president commended President Tinubu for initiatives including the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Ministry of Livestock Development, the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, as well as funding for the National Agricultural Growth Scheme-Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) and the establishment of the Nigerian Agricultural Development Fund.

He also commended the Bank of Agriculture, saying that effective management and implementation of the various initiatives would significantly transform the agricultural sector.

Mudi urged farmers across the country to key into Federal Government programmes and seek guidance and support from relevant agencies to maximise available opportunities.

He expressed optimism that sustained collaboration among government agencies, farmers, private investors and development partners would help Nigeria achieve food security and become a major agricultural hub in West Africa.

“No farmer, no nation,” Mudi said, urging farmers to support the administration’s agricultural transformation agenda and contribute to national development.