The Federal Ministry of Science and Technology has said it is committed to use the application of science, technology and innovations to tackle the challenge of food insecurity, unemployment and poverty reduction.
The Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, stated that the ministry was ready to move the economy of the nation forward through by harnessing available raw materials in the country.
Onu made this known when the Organising Committee of Africa Technology and Agribusiness Forum 2016 paid him a courtesy visit in his office to seek for support on the hosting of the 13th edition of Africa Agribusiness Forum tagged “Agribusiness 2016” in Nigeria.
According to the statement, he pledged to support the committee to ensure that Nigeria successful hosts of the Forum.
“We are working closely with Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources to ensure that we start processing food crops to make sure food is available all year round and also look inward to start using local raw materials” he said.
Onu also noted that Science and technology are very crucial to ensuring that farming become a business, which will also help in creating jobs for the unemployed.
Earlier, the Chairman of the committee Mr. Samuel Olaniyan said that the Forum was an international meeting point for major players in the agricultural sector, investor, producers, financiers, agro services providers, researchers, innovators, technologists, policy makers etc.
According to him, The Forum is being anchored by the European Marketing Research Council (EMRC) of Brussels, Belgium in partnership with the hosting government, as well as some blue chip companies and international institutions as co-sponsors.
The hosting of the Technology and Agribusiness Forum in Nigeria will attract huge investment into agricultural enterprise in Nigeria will further strengthen and enhance the nation’s Import Substitution programme making the economy less dependent on imports and turning Nigeria into a major exporter of processed agricultural products.
