FAO leads effort to improve agricultural policy monitoring, evaluation

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), in collaboration with various stakeholders, is developing strategies for agricultural policy monitoring to enhance the sector’s impact on the economy. Tanimu Ibrahim, Director of Planning and Policy Coordination at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, highlighted the significance of these policies for Nigeria’s economic growth during a policy workshop in Abuja. He praised FAO’s efforts, assuring that the analysis results would support President Bola Tinubu’s administration in achieving food and nutrition security.

The workshop aimed to discuss the outcomes of policies on selected agricultural products and their economic impact. Ibrahim emphasized that these policies would promote sector growth, job creation, and food security. The FAO’s Monitoring and Analysing Food and Agriculture Policies (MAFAP) program was showcased, aiming to improve participant awareness of methods to address sector challenges.

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Dominique Koffy Kouacou, acting FAO Representative in Nigeria, stressed the importance of evidence-based policy options for overcoming food security and malnutrition challenges. Participants included representatives from the Bank of Agriculture, relevant federal ministries, research institutes, development partners, and other critical food security agencies. Dr. Marco Sanchez, Deputy Director of FAO’s Agrifood Economics and Policy Division, noted that MAFAP has facilitated over 30 reforms in Africa and Asia, with the potential for significant investment increases in Nigeria’s agricultural sector to enhance food security and rural job creation.