Marcus Ogunbiyi, permanent secretary at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, has said the Ministry will embark on “Operation Empty The Stores” to empower farmers with modern agricultural inputs and equipment to boost agriculture and food security.
The permanent stated this in his remarks at the one day workshop held for Agriculture correspondents covering the Ministry in Abuja on Wednesday, with the theme “Building Partnership with The Media for Food Security”
Marcus said “Operation Empty The Stores means that the equipment and the inputs we have in the store are not meant for the store but for the farmers.”
It aims at ensuring that the Ministry opens up all its stores across the states to distribute all equipments and inputs in storage to ensure they
Marcus said the programme was strategically designed to foster a stronger collaboration between the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security and the media.
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He said, “The Ministry recognises the importance of effective communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing in achieving our lofty objectives”.
He added that the workshop was a critical step towards fostering a deeper understanding of the Ministry’s activities, programmes and projects among Media correspondents for proper reportage.
“The workshop will provide an update on the Ministry’s activities, programmes and projects and address recent developments and expectations as they affect the reportage of activities in the agricultural sector of our country.
“Your tireless efforts to inform, educate and entertain the public are fully commendable.
“This workshop is a testament to our Ministry’s commitment to openness, transparency, and constructive engagement with the media. We recognize that a well-informed media is essential to promoting a better understanding of the agricultural sector and its impact on our nation’s development”, he said.
Marcus further added that the importance of Agriculture in the national economy cannot be over-emphasised, especially with the global economic challenges and the need for diversification of our economy.
“There is therefore, the need to mobilise, educate and sensitize the Nigeria populace on the need to embrace agriculture” he said.