Following an outcry of Nigerian importers, the Federal Government has announced plans to review the country’s import policy on staple food items such as rice, wheat and fish, stating that there’s a need for such review as the policy is “unfavourable.”
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Sonny Echono, who made this known during a meeting with the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), Uju Hassan-Baba, said that the new import policy being planned would ensure that Nigeria is self sufficient in food production before the restriction of the importation of these food items.
He said there is need to link Nigerian farmers to the market, adding that it was one of the critical factors that would determine productivity and incomes of farmers as well as promote exports through value addition. A statement from the ministry noted that it had partnered with the NIPC to promote strategic investments in the agricultural sector.
He pointed out that the main target of the ministry was to guarantee food security for the country as well as export food items to other countries in the West African sub-region. While responding, Hassan- Baba called for the reestablishment of synergy that had existed over the years between the commission and the agriculture ministry.
She said there had been an increase in the demand of market information on agricultural activities in Nigeria by foreign investors, adding that a desk officer from the Ministry should be posted to the NIPC’s one-stop shop.
The NIPC boss further disclosed that the commission would organise stakeholders’ forum on promoting investment in the agricultural sector, noting that the ministry had a critical role to play in order to ensure the success of the proposed forum, which comes up in Abuja soon.
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