Agric Minister Reveals His Greatest Challenge Since Assuming Office

BEVERLY HILLS, March 25, (THEWILL) – The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh has revealed that his greatest challenge since assuming office last November is in trying to get the Nigerian elite to see why investment in agriculture should be supported. He also lamented the lack of systemic support for agriculture from the banks.

Ogbeh disclosed this while interacting with newsmen at the inauguration of the State Partnership for Agriculture by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in Abuja on Thursday.

According to him, “the biggest challenge has been trying to persuade the Nigerian elite – political, academic and professional – who are totally disconnected from agriculture. They talk about it on television and newspapers but agriculture happens in practice on the soil.

“Getting them reconnected will take quite a while. Bankers are not interested. There is no support to agricultural credit, fertiliser quality and management, seed control and seed quality. These are severally lacking in the system. And we have to reengineer the consciousness of Nigerians to respond to the new reality of our situation. It will take a while,” Ogbeh added.