By Ayodele Oni
The 137th meeting of the National Economic Council, (NEC) which ended on Friday in Abuja with Vice-President Kashim Shettima presiding, has implored governors to revamp Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
This, according to the meeting, will reduce dependence on food imports and attain food self-sufficiency.
Shettima, while addressing the meeting, stressed that “Our upcoming task must be rooted in recognizing the agrarian nature of our economy.”
The Vice-President is Chairman of the NEC, with all governors as members, is a statutory body with the mandate to advise the President on the nation’s economic affairs. Other members are Governor of the Central Bank (CBN) the Minister of Finance and other stakeholders.
The vice president added that “We must strive for deliberate value addition in the agricultural sector, moving away from commodity exports towards job creation.
“Collaboration is vital in enabling the Specialized Agro Processing Zones (SAPZ) Programme, in partnership with the Africa Development Bank (AfDB).”
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development spearheads the SAPZ.
He noted that the Federal Government needed to develop its agricultural sector towards self-sufficiency and export processed agricultural products.
This, he pointed out, is in line with the African Union’s Agenda.
 which ended on Friday in Abuja with Vice-President Kashim Shettima presiding, has implored governors to revamp Nigeria’s agricultural sector.){kind=link}