Nigeria'll soon become a global player in food production -Agric Minister

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr.
Akinwumi Adesina, has said that Nigeria will soon be a
global player in food production going by the series of
activities in the sector.
In a statement signed by the ministry's Director of Press,
Tony Ohaeri, the minister said the country will participate in
the 2015 Milano Expo in other to attract foreign investment.
Adesina said this in Abuja when he received the Italian
Ambassador to Nigeria, Fulvio Rustico, who led a four-
member delegation from the Milano 2015 Expo to the
minister.
The minister said Nigeria will participate at the Expo
because 65% of the arable land to feed the 9 billion people
in the world is in Africa, adding that over $5 billion has been
invested into fertilizer production by the private sector in
other to boost food production.
"Nigeria hopes to turn out over 5.9 metric tonnes of
fertilizer every year, starting from 2015," the minister said,
stressing the need to promote the country's agro-allied
industries, identifying Nigeria's potential in the exportation
of shell fish and shrimps to that effect.
The Minister said that the Agro-Business Group would play
a key role at the Milano Expo, while also requesting for the
participation of the Financial Services Group.
He also said that the private sector is key to the success of
the country's participation at the expo, adding that it is the
objective of the Federal Government to drive the country's
agriculture through the private sector.
Adesina maintained that Nigeria's ability to attract
investments into the country at the Milano Expo would
justifiably be the only way to measure the country's success
at the Expo.
He therefore stated the need to project the country's Staple
Crops Processing Zones (SCPZ) at the expo, saying that key
State Governments would be involved, especially States'
Commissioners for Agriculture, under the Public-Private
Partnership (PPP) Structure.
Italian Ambassador to Nigeria, Fulvio Rustico, said the
presence of Nigeria at the Milano 2015 Expo would be
fundamental because the country is a "Super-Power" in the
area of agriculture.
Rustico said the participation of Nigeria at the expo would
provide a platform for the country to present its experience
in agriculture, since they are convinced that Nigeria could
make a difference.