Nigerian government plans to spread organic agriculture

Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) has announced its intention to expand its production of organic produce across the country, as reported by Leadership.ng. The announcement was made by Isa Adamu of the ministry’s organic division at the annual National Organic Agriculture Business Summit (NOABS) in Nigeria. Adamu pointed to the economic and health opportunities offered by organic agriculture. The north of the country is considered the bread basket. “We want Ecological Organic Agriculture (EOA) to find itself in Borno, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Kaduna and all states in northern Nigeria like what is obtainable in the south,’’ said Adamu.

Professor Victor Olowe, president of the Association of Organic Agriculture Practitioners of Nigeria, bemoaned the fact that although the world’s organic agriculture sector is worth US$100 billion, Africa contributes just 3% of the total, adding that Nigeria now must become a central player in the global trade, given its potential.