Governor Chibuike Amaechi (right) and former minister, Alabo T.O Graham-Douglas, admiring proceedings at the just concluded 2013 International Fashion Week in Port Harcourt. Photo: Egberi Sampson

The Federal Government yesterday said it had registered about 15.5 million farmers under the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES).
Regional Director for North Central, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Mr Sunday Edibor, announced this in Minna at a stakeholders’ meeting.
He said the farmers were from Niger, Plateau, Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa and FCT, to ensure national food security.
Edibo said the scheme, which would boost agriculture and ensure self reliance for the farmers, was to help the country in its effort to stop food importation by 2015.
“We intend to stop importing food by 2015, so we have to take steps that would aid the intention of the Federal Government in producing its own food.”
He said the states and number of farmers registered between 2012 and 2013 included Niger, 270,000; Plateau, 360,000 and Benue, 252,000.
The regional director said the meeting involved GES and Agricultural Development Project coordinators in each of the states, agro-allied dealers and suppliers.
The meeting also involved the state directors of agriculture where the 2013 performance of the scheme in the region was reviewed.
Edibo urged rural farmers in the region to register in their various states, to ensure their reliance and food security for the country.
“They should come out to register before we conclude this programme in 2015; they stand the chance of improving their finances and ensuring food security for the nation,’’ he said.
He said the stakeholders deliberated extensively on the issue of inadequacy of fund and extension workers.
The director, however, said that the issues would be tackled by the ministry in the 2014 budget.
Edibo thanked the Niger Government for supporting the scheme and its agricultural regeneration programmes.
He urged other states in the region to emulate the political will of the government to revamp agriculture in their states.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government yesterday launched the National Policy on Productivity, with a call on Nigerians to imbibe the culture in all sectors of the economy.
The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, while launching the policy in Abuja, said it was critical to the economy and development of the country.
Wogu said that meaningful and sustainable development would be achieved without a concerted effort to institutionalise productivity.
He urged Nigerians to advance the structure at all levels of governance and sectors of the society.
“Against this premise, the place of productivity as a veritable tool in the achievement of government Transformation Agenda and Indeed the actualisation of vision 20:2020 cannot be over emphasised.
“The National Policy on Productivity is, therefore, our concerted response to the challenges of our under-development due to the nation’s low level of productivity.
“The low level productivity observed in our services and social sectors has highlighted the need to develop the policy on productivity.’’
The minister said that the his ministry, state governments and the National Productivity Centre had the responsibility to ensure effective monitoring and evaluation of the policy.
He enjoined all stakeholders to be committed to the partnership aimed at ensuring the successful implementation of the provisions of the document.
The minister also requested the state and local governments to quickly inaugurate their productivity councils and committees as enunciated in the policy.
He said the ministry would offer relevant technical assistance, where necessary, to ensure the immediate take-off of the implementing organs at other levels of governance.
Wogu said Nigeria was not bereft of good ideas, socio-economic programmes and well-articulated policies capable of transforming the country into a developed economy.
He said the lack of explicit policy had been identified as the missing link that deprived policies, plans and programme as well as synergy for effective and efficient implementation.
He said the policy was a strategic document that established the vision, mission, goals, objectives, guidelines and the modus operandi for the mobilisations, participation and promotion of productivity culture among the citizenry.
In his remarks, the Head of Federal Civil Service, Alhaji Bukar Aji,  said his office would make adequate copies of the document available to Nigerians.
He advised that the document should not be seen as a material for drawers, but must be studied thoroughly to boost the economy and enhance productivity.
“ You must be productive. The document should be studied very well in order to boost your productivity and that of the economy.
“It doesn’t matter the level you are, whichever sector you find yourself, you must contribute to the development of the nation.
“People should be conscious of that fact.’’
Earlier, the Director-General of the National Productivity Centre, Mr Paul Bdliya, said the importance of productivity in any economy could not be overstressed.
According to him, it is the level of productivity that makes the difference between the relative poverty of the developing countries and the national affluence of the developed and industrialised nations.
He said to survive economically, a nation needed to evolve a culture of productivity in all its undertakings.