The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), in collaboration with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the World Bank, and other stakeholders, has launched the 2022 National Agricultural Sample Census Report (NASC).
This initiative aims to provide comprehensive data on agricultural activities, enhance food and nutrition security, and drive economic growth.
The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, emphasized the importance of data for evidence-based policy and decision-making.
“The most significant thing about the data is that the government should now measure; whatever you can measure, you can manage,” he said.
The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, praised the collaborative effort, stating that the census outcome exemplifies what can be achieved through robust collaboration.
The FAO Representative in Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dominique Koffy Kouacou, noted that the report would provide critical data for informed decision-making in planning, monitoring, and evaluating programs and budgets.
The Statistician-General of the Federation and CEO of NBS, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran, highlighted that with over 65 percent of the population dependent on agriculture, the NASC results offer invaluable insights.
He detailed regional disparities and statistics, noting that Lagos had the lowest percentage of agricultural households in crop cultivation at 48 percent, while Ebonyi had the highest at 99.5 percent.
