The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS)on Monday launched the National Agricultural Sample Census (NASC), a scheme aimed at tackling the dearth of data hindering local and foreign growth and investment in the agricultural sector.
The Statistician-General of the Federation, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran said this in Abuja.
Adeniran said for over two decades, the absence of comprehensive data on Nigeria’s agricultural sector has been a significant barrier to progress.
This gap, he noted, “Has limited the ability of policymakers, investors, and stakeholders to make more informed decisions that are critical to the sector’s growth, and overall food security in Nigeria.”
He said with over 65 per cent of the population dependent on the agriculture sector for their daily sustenance, the NASC results would offer invaluable insights into the very foundation of the nation’s agricultural sector, and provide a detailed picture of its objectives.
He noted that the launch was particularly timely given the current global and national focus on food security, as well as the government’s drive towards enhancing sustainable local production to cater to the youthful and growing population.
Earlier, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in its June report said Nigeria, Ghana and 61 other countries are facing food poverty.
Bushlink reports that the Global Body decried that one in four children (27 per cent) is living in severe child food poverty in early childhood, amounting to 181 million children under five years of age.
