Nigeria’s agricultural imperative: Need for a consolidated policy framework
The Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) (2011-2015) was a comprehensive plan aimed at revitalizing Nigeria’s agricultural sector. It targeted creating 3.5 million jobs from various value chains and injecting $2 billion into farmers’ incomes. The ATA focused on boosting local production of staples like rice and cassava, restructuring fertilizer distribution, and establishing new institutional frameworks like NIRSAL. It set specific production targets and integrated ICT into agricultural services. The ATA was driven by then-Minister of Agriculture Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina and aimed to transform agriculture into a profitable business, addressing food security and economic growth. Source: Business Day
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The Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) from 2011-2015 aimed to revitalize Nigeria’s agriculture, creating over 3.5 million jobs and boosting farmers’ incomes by $2 billion. It focused on enhancing the production of key staples like rice, cassava, and sorghum, and integrating value chain concepts for sustainable growth. The initiative introduced new institutional frameworks and innovative financing models, emphasizing agriculture as a business. Successes included significant increases in crop yields and employment generation. However, challenges like corruption and implementation hurdles remained.
