Former Vice-President of the World Bank, Dr
Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili, has
commended the Federal Government’s strides in the development of the
agricultural sector in the country, NaijaAgroNet
reports.
Ezekwesili made this commendation while speaking the press in
Lagos, stressing that the focus on agricultur
e has empowered the farmers and
also redirected the attention of over 60 per cent of the population into
agriculture and other allied businesses.
NaijaAgroNet
learnt from her that government initiative towards agriculture and agribusiness
is very good as such was enhancing productivity in the sector and helping to
tackle poverty.
``So, you go to that informal sector of agriculture, you
provide them with the kind of tools and the kinds of facilities, the extension
services, the links to the market, the seeds and inputs, the access to credit. With
the better business environment, all of these add together to improve their
productivity, and therefore, will improve their income. Because
when you enhance the income of the farmers, what it means is that they have
more money that they can spend even in offering education to their children. So
that circle of activities is so important for taking the entire society out of
poverty. You don’t lift people out of poverty; you give people what they need
in order to lift themselves out of poverty,” she said
*with additional report from NAN
NaijaAgroNet
... Linking agrobiz, people & technology
pix: Dr Mrs. Obiageli Ezekwesili,
