The Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, has identified the need for accurate evaluation of the agricultural sector as an imperative measure to ensure the growth of the Nigerian agricultural sector.

Represented by his Deputy, Benson A’Bonu at the Feed Nigeria Summit currently underway in Abuja, the governor said that there is a dire need to evaluate the agricultural activities of previous years and compare it with the valuables of the present time, so as to ensure a sustainable growth of the sector.

According to him, discussions have been made over time by stakeholders, private and public alike, and yet there has been little or no improvement.

In his words, “We need to be coming here now every year to listen to success stories. We should be looking at statistics of our success stories. What did you do; when did you start or where were you; where were we; how did we do in 2018; what do we need to do in 2019? These evaluations are crucial so that we can get better as a nation.”

He also said the Benue state government is ready to undergo the Special Agro-Processing Zones (SAPZ) project which is being initiated by the African Development Bank (AfDB) as it will bolster agriculture in the state and help Benue State be the go-to state for agricultural potentials in Nigeria.

Themed “Unlocking Prosperity through Partnership”, this year’s Feed Nigeria Summit (FNS) is tailored to serve as a rallying platform for active engagement by stakeholders in the Nigerian agricultural sector on mechanisms for amplifying fragmented efforts within the sector.

SOURCE: AGRONIGERIA