Geneva, 22 January 2013 - H.E. Dr. Goodluck E. Jonathan, GCFR, President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria today hosted the first meeting of Nigeria's new Eminent Persons Group (EPG). The newly formed group of influential global leaders will advise the President on actions to help achieve Nigeria's Agricultural Transformation Agenda as well as provide a global platform for encouraging investment in Nigeria's growing agricultural sector.Members of the EMG include Bill Gates, co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Kofi A. Annan, Chair of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Dr. Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Kanayo Nwanze, President of the International Fund for Agriculture Development and Mohammed Abu-Ghazaleh Chairman and CEO of Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc. Joining the EPG at the Geneva meeting were the Honorable Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Akinwumi Adesina, CON, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and other chief executive officers of global multinational and Nigerian corporations.
"Nigeria is undergoing rapid changes in its agriculture sector. We have stopped viewing agriculture as a development program, but now as a business that can assure food security, create wealth and generate jobs. Private sector investments are rising significantly as a result of our bold policy reform," said President Goodluck. "I am confident that with the support of the private sector and the donor community, Nigeria's agriculture will further drive economic growth and unlock new opportunities for millions of our farmers and agribusinesses."
Nigeria's Agricultural Transformation Action Plan (ATAP), introduced last year by the Honourable Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, provides a com
prehensive government strategy to reduce the cost of food imports, diversify the economy and develop rural areas of the country. The goal is to industrialize the sector making it more productive, efficient and competitive. Over the next five years, it is anticipated the plan will add 20 million tons of food to domestic supply and create 3.5 million jobs along the agricultural value chains.
"We ended decades of corruption in the fertilizer and seed sectors of Nigeria within just three months of this administration. We also introduced the use of electronic wallets to deliver subsidized inputs directly to farmers through their cell phones, reaching 1.2 million farmers. Our policy reforms and incentives have attracted eight billion dollars of private sector investment commitments so far," said Adesina. "Based on our success, Nigeria's agricultural transformation agenda will be a model for the rest of Africa to address food security and drive economic growth."
"What Nigeria is doing in its agriculture sector is an example for the rest of Africa. That is why the African Development Bank is strongly supporting this agricultural transformation agenda. The political will is strong and the Minister is driving innovative ideas for change," said Dr. Donald Kaberuka, President of the African Development Bank. "We will support Nigeria to further develop its agricultural infrastructure to ensure a positive investment climate for agribusiness."
About the Agricultural Transformation AgendaTransforming the agricultural sector is key to Nigeria's strategy for growth and is driven under the new Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA). Introduced last year by the Honorable Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, the ATA is the largest ever government-enabled private sector-led effort to grow agriculture in Nigeria. This comprehensive effort aims to increase domestic food production, reduce dependence on food imports and expand value addition to locally produced agricultural products. Through de-regulation, attractive financing, concentrated infrastructure investments, and competitive policies, the sector will be more productive, efficient and competitive. Specifically, the plan will add 20 million tons of food to domestic supply and create 3.5 million jobs by 2015.
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