Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh has inaugurated a committee to plan and organize the first ever National Farmers’ Day celebration in Nigeria.
Inaugurating the Committee in his office on Tuesday, 10th January, 2017, the Minister stated that the National Farmers’ Day is to showcase agricultural equipment and products in Nigeria to encourage farmers to do more and return farming/agriculture to its place of pride.
He averred that getting agriculture into the psyche of Nigerian elite was still a problem, even among those in Government. Thus, the need to attract younger people into agriculture by presenting it as an enterprise worth participating in
He stated that the National Farmers’ Day will be an annual event where each State will showcase their efforts in agriculture, with the aim of lifting the sector to where it belongs, as well as make Nigerians respect and recognize farmers as major nation builders.
The Committee, which is chaired by the Director, Federal Department of Agriculture in the Ministry, Dr. Babandi Amin Mohammed, has all other Directors in the Ministry as members. The committee was also given the liberty to co-opt any relevant stakeholder, including one State Commissioner of Agriculture per zone, to support the planning and organization of the celebration.
The committee is to liaise with relevant stakeholders, including farmers associations, State Governments, Civil Society Organizations and youth organizations, with a view to mobilize them for participation in the National Farmers’ Day celebration.
The committee chairman assured that the committee will work as a team to actualize the dream of hosting the Day.
The event will hold in the first quarter of 2017.
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