The Federal Government has in a bid to ensure increased yield of agricultural products on the continent, expressed commitment to boost research on agricultural processes in Africa .

Akinwunmi Adesina, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural development, made this pledge on behalf of the Federal Government, stating that the pertinent role of Nigeria in ensuring food security in Africa has made it imperative for it to take the lead in driving agricultural research.

He said that his ministry has resolved to revive the near-comatose Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (NARC) in order to be repositioned for its core mandate.

Adesina, during the courtesy visit paid to him by Yemi Akinbamijo, the newly appointed executive director of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), also accepted the offer to become the organisation’s ambassador of repute for the continent.

FARA was created in 1997 as part of concerted efforts to improve agricultural productivity through research so as to increase economic growth, reduce poverty, increase food security and enhance resilience to shocks.

Adesina recommended that FARA is crucial for Africa in the sense that it can help the continent in building the capacity of the research centres and sub-regional agricultural research network, adding that the comprehensive agricultural development programme of the African Union will succeed with the success of FARA because supporting it, will yieldfor the interest of Africa.

“It is time for Nigeria in particular to begin to take advantage of the international research community to continue to drive and further support what the Federal Government is doing under the agriculture transformation agenda”, he said

 He acknowledged that Nigeria has benefited from agriculture research, particularly from the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), noting that without science and technology, agriculture will not get anywhere since science breaks barriers and raises productivity.

He divulged that Nigeria has the plans to raise the productivity of its crops and animals, stressing that the country needs research in a coordinated way, canvassing that plans to link the nation’s research institutions should become a cohesive anchor force for the agriculture transformation agenda of the country.