The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, in collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced a new initiative to identify and capture data of genuine farmers in Nigeria, aimed at addressing the issue of ‘political farmers’ infiltrating the agricultural sector.
The Ministry seeks to create accurate records to ensure that agricultural interventions are well-directed and reach the right beneficiaries.
In a statement issued by the Director of Information, Dr. Joel Oruche, and made available to the press, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Temitope Fashedemi, stated the importance of this initiative.
Speaking at the recent inauguration of a Technical Working Group (TWG) on farmers’ data capturing, held at the Ministry’s Conference Room in Abuja, Fashedemi noted that the initiative is a critical tool for shaping the future of Nigeria’s farmers through proper identification.
This effort would assist the Ministry in delivering agricultural inputs and support to the appropriate recipients.
Fashedemi highlighted that the partnership with NIMC is crucial for leveraging their expertise to develop a robust database of farmers across the country.
He also mentioned that the Minister recently inaugurated the National Executive Committee on the Implementation of the Nigeria Farmers’ Soil Health Card Scheme, an initiative aimed at enhancing agricultural productivity and securing a food-secure future for Nigeria, in line with the Tinubu-led administration’s mandate for the agricultural sector.
The TWG, led by the Director of the Department of Planning and Policy Coordination, included Directors of Technical Departments and a representative from NIMC.
The group is tasked with developing effective collaboration modalities between the Ministry and NIMC to ensure seamless data capture and management.
Dr. Peter Iwegbu, Director of the Card Management Services Department at NIMC, explained that the Commission’s mandate includes establishing, owning, operating, maintaining, and managing the national identity database in Nigeria. This involves registering individuals persons covered by the Act, assigning a unique National Identification Number (NIN) and issuing general Multi-purpose Cards (GMPC) to those who are citizens of Nigeria as well as others legally residing in the country.
Iwegbu also expressed optimism that the programme would enable the government manage the intervention across the country, validate soil, target support (specify target that you want to support i.e farmers), predictability, identify and channel whom you intend to support amongst others.
Identify training programs for field Officers and data collectors to ensure data accuracy and consistency, establish clear terms and conditions for the collaboration between the Ministry and NIMC, fostering a strong partnership and any other relevant work/directives that will facilitate the work of the committee.
Membership of the TWG was drawn from technical departments of the Ministry and NIMC.
