Agriculture Contributes 23% To Nigeria’s GDP- Minister

Mustapha Shehuri, Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development, Mustapha Shehuri , has disclosed that the agricultural sector has consistently contributed between 22.5 to 23 per cent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Shehuri made this known at the opening of the Islamic Organisation for Food Security (IOFS), Regional Training Workshop on Strategic Planning and Policy Development in Food Security in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said the training was part of a strategy adopted to raise global awareness on the State of food security and agricultural development in the world.

Shehuri was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Ernest Umakhihe.

He said that the agricultural sector in Nigeria still remained one of the pillars on which the economy rests.

”The country has vast potential in agriculture with abundant arable land estimated at 82 million hectares of which just little less than 32 million hectares is cultivated.

”This is not to say that we are satisfied; but we are determined to make more significant progress in this direction by generating more yield in crops, fisheries and livestock sub- sectors,” he said.

Shehuri said the IOFS is a specialised institution of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, an Inter- Governmental Organisation established in 1964.

He said Nigeria became a member in 1986 as well as member of Agriculture Working Group in 2017.