By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Efforts are currently being made to ensure Nigeria attains self-sufficiency in food so as to significantly cut down the amount food imported into the country.
Two companies are working together to boost Nigeria’s food security and ensure sustainable development of the agriculture sector, which is the nation’s highest employer of labour, accounting for 70 per cent, but has suffered low output resulting in poor returns for farmers and massive food import.
It gathered that a leading food and agro-processing company in West Africa, WACOT Limited, and leading global agritech company, Syngenta Crop Protection, would be working closely over the next five years to help improve the sustainability, quality and safety of Nigeria’s agriculture with world-class science and innovative crop solutions.
The partnership agreement with WACOT, which operates in all 36 states in Nigeria and supports production of crops including rice, maize, sorghum, soybean, cotton and vegetables, will, therefore, help further Nigeria’s drive towards attaining self-sufficiency in food.
Through this partnership with WACOT, Syngenta would collaborate with farmers and others to sustainably improve the most important factor in agriculture – yield.
This will take the form of WACOT supporting the Nigerian farmer on cost-effective agronomic practices, advanced crop protection methods through the usage of yield enhancement products and biological compounds to consolidate the growth of the agriculture sector in the country.
Commenting on the partnership, CEO of the agri division of TGI Group, the parent company of WACOT Limited, Ramesh Moochikal stated that it desired for Nigeria to attain self-sufficiency in crop production and would look to enter into strategic partnerships to achieve this goal.
“We are most pleased with this partnership that would further help us achieve our dream for Nigeria – food security and self-sufficiency.
“Nigerian farmers are hardworking, and we know that if we can make them aware of better crop production practices and make results of our research and development efforts available to them, things will improve, and the agri sector as a whole would benefit,” Moochikal said.
Also speaking, Syngenta Crop Protection West Africa Head, Franck Tokore said the company was proud of its relationship with WACOT and would continue supporting Nigerian farmers.
“We are delighted to be renewing our partnership with WACOT. Through this partnership, we provide quality solutions to farmers in Nigeria and help support food security and livelihoods in Africa’s most populous country.
“By supporting farmers in Nigeria to sustainably increase their yields, we are also helping them be more competitive globally, hence reducing the need for imports. Nigeria has huge potential, which we strive to unlock sustainably through this partnership,” he said.
Dipo Olowookere 
Adedapo Adesanya