Stakeholders have called on the incoming Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mohammed Abubakar, to build on the legacies of his predecessor.
They made the call while speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday relieved the minister of Agriculture, Alhaji Muhammad Nanono of his appointment and redeployed the Minister of Environment, Mohammed Abubakar to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Mr Daniel Hassan, National Assistant Secretary-General, National Soyabean Association of Nigeria, said Nanono had lofty plans and programmes for the agricultural sector as well as the value chain sector.
” Obviously the news of Nanono’s removal came as shock to me,” he said.
Read Also: Coalition condemns proposed increase in electricity tariffs
He wished the former minister well in all his future endeavours and urged the new minister to build on the legacies of his predecessor for the good of the Country.
Hassan noted that agriculture is the pilot of development as it has to do with gross domestic products generation as well as internal and external revenue generation.
” Agriculture is also the pilot of import and export because it has the highest employment of labour,” he said.
Also Mrs Comfort Sunday, FCT, Coordinator, Small Scale Women Farmers Organisation, (SWOFON), thanked Nanono for his contributions towards ensuring women farmers’ participation in agriculture.
She urged the in-coming Agric minister to build on the legacies of his predecessor and be gender sensitive.
Sunday also wants the new minister address the issue of land ownership for women as we as other demands.
She equally called on the new Agric minister to key into the Federal Government ‘s efforts to address not only food security but ensure security at the farm level.(NAN)