Date: 2020-11-13

The Vice-President of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, has sought for more private sector investment in agriculture.

Osinbajo made the call in Kwara State during the 2nd 'Agrowth Conference' organised by agricultural company, Heart and Capital, according to a statement.

The VP's position was contained in a statement titled, 'Sustainability takes centre stage, as experts converse at the Agrowth Conference 2020'.

Giving the keynote address, Osinbajo, who was represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Agriculture, Andrew Kwasari, said, "Government can do interventions, and now we are talking about an economic sustainability plan where we have over N600bn for smallholder farmers and many more. All of these are interventions but what will really ensure progress is finding sustainable ways where the private sector will continue to flow into agriculture.

"We need to organize smallholders' operation and de-risk it by using innovative solutions to identify super layers to smallholder farmers that will provide them a financeable portfolio which will see risk completely eroded and mitigated."

Also, Heart and Capital Chief Executive Officer, Umar Adelodun, said, "We started a conversation about the potentials of this trillion-dollar sector and I cannot deny the amount of work that has been done between then and now. However, it is not enough which is why it is pertinent to continue this conversation by discussing how to achieve sustainability of the sector."

The programme featured not less than 600 participants across agribusiness, academics, public and private sectors.