By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.

Kogi State is positioning itself to become the nation’s leading agricultural hub by 2025, according to the State’s Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Timothy Ojomah. Speaking after defending the Ministry of Agriculture’s 2025 budget at the Kogi State House of Assembly, Ojomah outlined the state’s plans to enhance its agricultural production, making it a significant player in the national and regional food supply.

Ojomah pointed to Kogi’s impressive performance in food production in 2024, despite the challenges of flooding in several local government areas.
He emphasized that the state is currently the top producer of cassava and cashew in Nigeria, with growing interest from buyers across the country. “The demand for Kogi’s agricultural products is a win for our local economy, empowering our people and boosting the state’s GDP,” Ojomah stated.

Looking ahead to 2025, Ojomah revealed that the government plans to expand agricultural production from 10,000 hectares to 50,000 hectares.
Key to this expansion is the focus on mechanized farming, supported by the World Bank’s Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project.
This initiative will provide essential equipment like bulldozers, tractors, and excavators to support large-scale farming in the state.

In addition, the state government is refurbishing old farming equipment to make it accessible to farmers, helping transition from traditional subsistence farming to mechanized agri-business.
“Our vision is to make Kogi State a leader in food production, not only for Nigeria but for Africa,” Ojomah concluded.

***As Farm Alert Marks 5th Anniversary

The Federal Government has been urged to adopt technology and innovation to address critical gaps in Nigeria’s livestock sector.
Speaking at the 5th Anniversary Celebration of Farm Alert in Abuja, Professor Folorunsho Fasina, a lecturer at the University of Pretoria and an expert with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), highlighted the lack of coordination and technological integration in the sector.
“Technology and innovation are lacking in Nigeria’s livestock industry,” Fasina said. “Despite being resource-rich, we are not organized. Vertical integration is essential to unlock the sector’s full potential and create jobs.”

Fasina, who also chairs Farm Alert’s Advisory Board, praised the organization for its innovative strides in the past five years, including reaching over 1,000 communities in six states with animal health products.

CEO of Farm Alert, Dr. Femi Kayode, revealed the company’s plans to expand into West Africa by 2026, followed by operations in East, South, and Central Africa by 2030. “By 2030, we aim to be the largest distributor of animal feed in Africa,” Kayode announced.
The event underscored Farm Alert’s commitment to supporting young veterinarians. In partnership with the Nigerian Medical Veterinary Association (NMVA), Farm Alert has provided a N20 million grant to 10 veterinarians and plans to extend an additional N60 million to 30 more.
During the celebration, 12 veterinarians received N12 million in start-up funding.
Since its launch in November 2019, Farm Alert has made significant strides in improving access to animal health products, such as vaccines, drugs, and supplements, in underserved communities.
The organization’s innovative distribution model aggregates the needs of veterinary stores and delivers products efficiently and cost-effectively.

NMVA President, Dr. Moses Arokoyo, commended Farm Alert for its creativity and impact, noting the partnership’s role in transforming veterinary practice in Nigeria.

With its continued focus on technology, innovation, and expansion, Farm Alert is poised to drive sustainable growth in Nigeria’s livestock sector and beyond.

The Cocoa Roundtable Initiative (CORI) has called on President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to provide strategic support for Nigeria’s cocoa industry, specifically requesting funding and the transformation of the National Cocoa Management Committee (NCMC) into a statutory board. This appeal, outlined in an open letter to the President, emphasizes the need to sustain and grow Nigeria’s cocoa economy by supporting critical regulatory bodies and providing subsidies to farmers.

The open letter, signed by CORI’s Director-General Comrade Adeola Adegoke, also urged the federal government to fund the National Task Force on the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) to safeguard Nigerian cocoa from potential sanctions by the European Union, which recently extended its deadline for sustainable cocoa compliance by another 12 months. According to CORI, adequate support for the Task Force would help address EU regulatory requirements, protecting Nigeria’s cocoa exports valued at billions of dollars.

CORI commended the significant progress made by the Nigerian cocoa sector in 2024. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics indicates a remarkable 304% increase in cocoa exports in Q1 2024, rising to N438.7 billion from N108.6 billion in the same period last year. Cocoa accounted for 42.4% of Nigeria’s N1.04 trillion agricultural exports, becoming a vital source of foreign exchange amid economic reforms.

Despite these gains, CORI stressed that the unregulated cocoa market has left smallholder farmers vulnerable to low productivity, post-harvest losses, and quality issues. The establishment of the NCMC by the previous administration in 2022 was seen as a positive step, but CORI argues that insufficient funding has limited the committee’s ability to carry out essential duties like quality control, climate resilience initiatives, and monitoring child labor.

“Funding constraints have undermined the NCMC’s ability to address critical issues and enhance Nigeria’s position in the global cocoa market,” said Comrade Adegoke. He also highlighted that, given President Tinubu’s campaign promise to establish regulatory boards for key agricultural commodities, cocoa deserves priority as a top foreign exchange earner and a source of livelihood for many rural farmers.

CORI is also calling for subsidized inputs to support smallholder farmers, believing that this would boost productivity and position Nigeria to overtake Côte d’Ivoire as the leading cocoa producer in West Africa by 2027. According to CORI, providing affordable resources and infrastructure could lead to transformative prosperity for Nigeria’s cocoa farmers.

The appeal concludes with CORI’s assurance of continued collaboration with all stakeholders to advance the Nigerian cocoa sector, deepening sustainable practices and ensuring prosperity for cocoa farmers. The initiative also calls upon governors of cocoa-producing states and other industry leaders to lend their support for the industry’s growth and sustainability.