Submitted by N.Abdullahi on

Dr Fan was in Abuja on July 20 for the launch of IFPRI’s 2017 Global Food Policy Report titled “Food Security and Nutrition in an Urbanizing World.” The Global Food Policy Report (GFPR) is an annual IFPRI flagship report which provides data and analysis on the major food policy issues, developments, and decisions of the previous year and highlights challenges and opportunities for the coming year.

He paid a courtesy visit to Sen. Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, Chairman Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs (Senate Spokesman) and immediate past Focal Person of ASTI in Nigeria. He said African agricultural research is underfunded, stating that China and Brazil have increased their ratio of investment to AgGDP by over 1% and Nigeria is still at 0.22%, according to the most current ASTI report. With this trend, appreciable progress cannot be recorded in technological development -- dissemination that in turn propels productivity. He also advocated for diversification of research to the livestock and fisheries sector because this would boost the nutritional status of the people, and he called on Nigeria’s parliament to tap into the South-South cooperation which China is willing to support. He thanked Sen. Abdullahi for being a champion for the agricultural research system in Nigeria.

Sen. Abdullahi thanked Dr. Fan for the visit and called for a robust collaboration between IFPRI and ARCN for the purpose of strengthening the National Agricultural Research System (NARS). He also informed him that Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN) is going through a reform process with the amendment of the law establishing the council by the parliament. This reform would help strengthen ARCN’s capacity and improve funding, as well as reduce bureaucracy and increase collaboration and partnership with international research centers.

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