The federal government has taken steps to incorporate agricultural insurance into its National Agricultural Growth Scheme Agro-Pocket (NAGS-AP) programme to mitigate agricultural risks and ensure food security.

Aliyu Abdullahi, minister of state for agriculture and food security, stated this at a workshop on Wednesday in Abuja, where the implementation of the NAGS-AP programme was being discussed.

NAGS-AP, a federal government intervention programme for farmers, commenced during the 2023 dry season farming with wheat cultivation.

Mr Abdullahi said the workshop was organised to educate stakeholders on the features and benefits of agricultural insurance for Nigerian farmers.

“We are gathered here to discuss and agree on incorporating agricultural insurance into the NAGS-AP programme, which commenced in the 2023 dry season farming with wheat cultivation.

“So far, we have been fortunate to have favourable production due to good weather, resulting in a bountiful harvest.

“It is our objective and responsibility to protect the investments and interventions being made by the government and our financing partner, the African Development Bank (AfDB), via NAGS-AP. This is to address the sustainability and security of our local food systems, especially given our growing population,” he said.

He added that Nigeria is witnessing the clear and present existential threats of climate change and its impact on the country’s local food systems.

“It is evident that climate change is real, and it has therefore become inevitable to integrate insurance as a key component of our NAGS-AP programme to ensure sustainability and food security,” he said.

In a goodwill message, Folashade Joseph, the managing director of the Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC), underscored the importance of insurance for agricultural activities in both the dry and wet farming seasons.

She expressed NAIC’s readiness to continue partnering with stakeholders in the agricultural and other sectors of the economy, providing sound insurance and other risk management expertise.

“This is with a view to reducing risks bedevilling these ventures on the one hand and improving national agricultural output, as well as the attainment of food security, on the other,” she said.

Earlier, the national coordinator, NAGS-AP, Ishaku Buba, said that the event was organised to expand the horizon of the NAGS pocket to change very vital segments like the agricultural insurance component to increase its package.

He said the scheme’s desire is to broaden its operational horizon to carter and accommodate the interest of the farmers and other relevant stakeholders operating along the production line of the chain,” he said.

(NAN)