Stakeholders in Nasarawa State have begun a two-day workshop to review and validate the State Agricultural Policy (SAP) and the State Agricultural Investment Plan (SAIP), aimed at repositioning the state’s food system.
The documents were developed with support from the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) under the Nasarawa State Capability for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation project.
Declaring the workshop open on Tuesday in Keffi, Commissioner for Agriculture Umar Tanko-Tunga said the SAP and SAIP provide a clear roadmap for agricultural development in the state.
He noted that agriculture remains the backbone of Nasarawa’s economy, supporting livelihoods, enhancing food security, creating jobs, and driving rural development.
“This validation workshop presents an opportunity for us to critically review and strengthen these strategic frameworks. It aligns with Governor Abdullahi Sule’s commitment to modernising the agricultural sector through reforms and targeted interventions,” Tanko-Tunga said.
He commended AGRA and its implementing partners for their support, describing their collaboration as a strong demonstration of confidence in the state’s vision for a resilient, productive, and market-oriented agricultural system.
AGRA Programme Officer Theophilus Raymond lauded stakeholders for their contributions, emphasizing that the policies would stimulate agricultural investment and translate into real income for farmers.
Managing Director of Nasarawa Investment and Development Agency, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said the state government was committed to producing actionable policies with measurable outcomes.
“As an agrarian state, our policies and actions must reflect our agricultural identity,” he said.
Abdullahi Ari, Vice President of Investment Promotion and Facilitation at NASIDA, explained that the workshop would also review presentations on the National Fertiliser Quality Control Act and the National Agricultural Seed Council Act, guiding their domestication in the state.
He added that the programme would support the civil society organisation Echoes of Change to undertake advocacy and media engagement for the implementation of the state’s agricultural policies.
Ari urged participants to actively interrogate the drafts and contribute meaningfully toward strengthening the policies and proposed legislative amendments.
NAN
