From Ibrahim Aliyu – Staff Reporter
Kaduna – The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is actively promoting the large-scale production and export of agricultural and livestock products from its member states. The initiative is part of a broader vision to establish the sub-region as a major global hub for exporting agricultural and allied products.
This disclosure was made by Dr. Jimmy Johnmark, the ECOWAS Programme Officer for Livestock, Agriculture, and Pastoral Development, at the opening of the 47th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Agriculture and Food Security in Kaduna.
This year's council meeting, themed "Strengthening Food Sovereignty and Food Security in an Era of Renewed Hope," brought together State Commissioners, top federal and state government officials, and local and international development partners in the agricultural sector.
In his remarks at the opening ceremony, Dr. Johnmark explained that for the past fifteen years, the ECOWAS Commission has been at the forefront of developing deliberate policy frameworks. These frameworks are designed to assist member countries like Nigeria in developing large-scale rice farming and its associated value chains.
According to him, these initiatives have already begun to yield positive impacts. He noted that Nigeria is gradually progressing towards achieving self-sufficiency in rice for local consumption, a crucial step that will eventually enable the country to shift to large-scale export of the produce in the near future.
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