The UN says it’s collaborating with the Federal Government to strengthen the agriculture and solid minerals sectors to ensure the success of the country’s diversification programme.
The Resident Coordinator of the UN, Ms Fatma Samoura, stated this at a press conference on UN agencies interventions aimed at addressing poverty through economic diversification.
Samoura said that Nigeria had experienced growth in the recent past but that how the growth translates in poverty reduction depends on several issues.
According to him, the factors are the sources of the growth, how inclusive such growth is and the degree of inequality that exists.
According to him, the factors are the sources of the growth, how inclusive such growth is and the degree of inequality that exists.
“At the UNDP, we believe that expanding the sources of growth (diversification) and ensuring that is pro-poor are key elements necessary for reducing the levels of poverty in Nigeria.
“Through the Economic Policy and Inclusive Growth Unit, UNDP is providing strategic support to the Government of Nigeria in two key areas that will help expand this growth.
“These include promoting agricultural transformation and strengthening the Solid Minerals Sector,” she said.
“These include promoting agricultural transformation and strengthening the Solid Minerals Sector,” she said.
Samoura said UN support towards the agricultural transformation began in 2010 with the ‘Facility for Inclusive Market (FIM) Project’.
She said the programme focused on ‘developing and expanding value chain in agriculture and agro-industry and implemented in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.
She added that the project also played significant roles in the process of establishing and institutionalisation of the Staple Crops Processing Zones (SCPZs) in Nigeria.
“It is our hope that by next month (April 2016) we will initiate a complementary project on ‘Agricultural Supplier Development Programme (ASDP).
“This new project will increase employment, income and output in rural areas and strengthen the commodity supply chains by narrowing the gaps between farmers and processors/wholesalers/retailers,” she said.
She explained that the UNDP’s support for agricultural transformation was also extended to current and former partner States such as Ekiti, Niger and Benue.
On the solid minerals sector, Samoura said there was a proposed cooperation framework for strengthening the sector between the Ministry of Solid Minerals and the UNDP.
On the solid minerals sector, Samoura said there was a proposed cooperation framework for strengthening the sector between the Ministry of Solid Minerals and the UNDP.
“The cooperation is targeted at increasing the production of minerals to generate revenue for the country as well as create employment opportunities for the million unemployed Nigerians.
“At the early stages the framework will seek to improve the solid minerals policy, legislative and regulatory framework.
“It will as well strengthen the capacity of the key public institutions that govern the mineral sector, particularly the Ministry of Solid Minerals and related departments,” she added. (NAN)
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