FG begins review of agriculture laws to improve food security

The Federal Government has commenced the second phase of Nigeria’s agricultural laws review to replace obsolete provisions with a modern legal framework that can drive food sovereignty and agribusiness-led growth.   The Director, Legal Services, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Hafsat Dupe Belgore, represented by the Assistant Legal Adviser, Manbyen Mamvong, stated this at the opening of the Second Phase of the stakeholders’ Technical Retreat on the Review of Nigeria’s Agricultural Laws yesterday in Abuja.   Belgore explained that the first phase of the exercise involved the comprehensive diagnostic mapping of existing agricultural legislation, adding that during the first phase review, stakeholders identified obsolete provisions, overlapping mandates, regulatory gaps and areas where the laws are no longer in tune with current realities, including climate change, mechanisation, agricultural technology, private sector investment and food systems transformation.

Also, in its effort to attract investments into the fisheries sector, the Federal Government is increasingly focusing on ensuring inadequate processing, storage, cold-chain infrastructure, and market access, which have constrained the value of production.   The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, highlighted these gaps yesterday when he received a Turkish fisheries investment company, CRD Impex, led by Cem Tarhan, in Abuja.   Rather than identifying fish production alone as the sector’s investment challenge, Oyetola pointed to weaknesses across the value chain, including inadequate infrastructure, limited access to modern fishing technology, processing and storage constraints and weak cold-chain systems.   He said these deficiencies represented investment opportunities that could improve the productivity and livelihoods of local fish producers.   “We welcome investors who can bring capital, technology, expertise and modern value-chain solutions to the sector,” Oyetola said, insisting that such investments must be inclusive and sustainable.   The minister’s emphasis effectively shifts the investment conversation from simply increasing the volume of fish caught or farmed to improving the systems that determine how much of that production reaches consumers in usable and marketable form.   The issue is significant for Nigeria’s artisanal fisheries, where operators are already active but face constraints in accessing modern equipment, preservation facilities and wider markets.