The positive impact of the innovative agricultural policies being implemented in Nigeria are fast catching on across the African continent. This point was made recently by Mrs Dorcas Makwoi, the focal person for the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP) in Kenya who reserved praise for the country’s Agriculture Minister, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, for influencing Kenya’s agricultural policy.
Makwoi made this known in a recent media chat in Nairobi. According to her, when Adesina was Vice-President (Policy and Partnerships) of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), he contributed to making policies that are currently boosting agricultural production across Africa. Speaking further, Makwoi lauded Adesina for the launch of the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) “through which Nigerian farmers now receive subsidised seeds and fertilisers through vouchers on their mobile phones”.
According to the CAADP Focal Person, the policy has provided a conduit for the private sector to key into the fertiliser business, which is a model for ASCU in Kenya and “…would enable Kenyan farmers to benefit from fertilisers, seeds, feeds and pesticides without any interference from middle men….” Kenya, according to Makwoi, is an agro-based economy and has keyed into Adesina’s policies to improve its agricultural sector.
In her words, “through our agricultural sector development strategy, the growth target has been pegged at a target of seven per cent which is above the six percent expectation from CAADP”. It will be recalled that the Nigerian Minister recently delivered the keynote speech at the African Green Revolution Forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.