By Joyce Remi- Babayeju
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat is set to synergise with International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) to boost food security across the territory.
Mandate Secretary FCT Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Mallam Abubakar Ibrahim disclosed this on Thursday, when the Abuja station representative/ project manager of IITA, Professor Lateef Sanni led a team of senior officials on a courtesy visit to him.
According to Ibrahim the secretariat has recorded notable achievements through the collaboration that started since 1991 with IITA, promising that the
the secretariat will continue to organize and mobilize farmers to benefit from the programmes of the Institute which has the mandate of research on soya bean, Yam, cassava, maize, cowpea, Banana and plantain.
“We appreciate IITA for not only making the research findings available but also providing our farmers in the FCT with improved varieties of the aforementioned crops.”
Ibrahim stated that in recognition of the important role of research in boosting Agricultural production, the FCT Administration has continued to sustain its support to the Institute, describing the recent donation of a transformer and a borehole to the Institute in 2019 as another way of enhancing the activities of the Institute.
The IITA Abuja station representative Prof. Lateef Sanni appreciated the FCT Administration for always supporting the Institute to meet up with its mission to help resource-poor farmers raise agriculture production, as well as improve food security, and increase incomes in sub-Saharan Africa.
He further solicited assistance in the areas of completion of the Abuja perimeter fence of about 1,630meters, which he said exposes the station and all its assets to high security risks including land grabbing and encroachment.
Furthermore Sanni requested for an outreach and capacity building line budget to enable IITA to bridge the gap in Agriculture interventions in the Federal Capital Territory.
Director Agriculture services in the secretariat, Mrs Francisa Ihekandu said the collaboration between IITA and FCTA will continue to yield positive results in the agriculture sector.
