Turkish Govt Pledges Support for Bago’s ‘Green Future’ Agenda
By Aluta News
October 29, 2023
The government of the Republic of Turkiye has pledged its support for the Niger State Government’s commitment to boosting the state’s agriculture sector, through sustainable food cultivation practices that will help mitigate the effect of climate change.
Mr. Halil Ibrahim Yilmaz, Vice President of the Ankara Chamber of Commerce, gave the assurance at the maiden Niger State Green Economy Summit, held in Minna, the state capital.
He said: “We see and support the “Green Future and Green Production of Niger State” program, which envisions agricultural adaptation to the climate crisis”.
According to Ibrahim Yilmaz, who is also the President of the Union of City Councils of Turkey and Ankara, the Summit organized by the Niger Government under the leadership of Governor Mohammed Umar Bago will assist in midwifing an agricultural revolution in the state.
“There has been agricultural production on Earth for at least 12,000 years, that we know of. Yet, in spite of all the technological developments, modern agriculture fails to sustain both the population’s needs and the environmental balance,” he said.
The Turkish agro expert explained that as the world’s arable land diminishes fastly, the portion left is becoming unusable due to climate crisis and pollution. “Both water and food stress will increase globally”.
His words: “Global population is estimated to be 10 billion by 2050; therefore there is an urgent need to double the efficiency. In order to sustain the population, agricultural production should increase by at least 60% by 2050”.
Pledging the support of their Chambers of Commerce to Governor Umar Bago, Yilmaz emphasized the need for Niger farmers, accustomed to traditional agriculture methods, to be trained on modern food production systems.
“Securing sustainable food production systems and implementing resilient agricultural practices that increase production and productivity help sustain ecosystems. It also strengthens the capacity to adapt to climate change, extreme weather, drought, floods and other disasters, while also improving soil quality. This Green Economy Summit offers Niger State the opportunity to cooperate with other countries and fast-track its development,” he said.
Mr. Yilmaz, further asserted that, Niger State has blazed the trail in advocating solutions for the global problem of climate change. “The effort of Niger state towards building a sustainable ecosystem is commendable. It is what the whole world must strive to actualize”.
He noted that their Chambers of Commerce in Ankara, capital of Turkiye, established the “International Green Economy and Climate Change Office” in order to safeguard food security and protect agricultural land, while also curbing the impact of climate change, among others.
“It is now easier to say that climate crisis and sustainability are the most critical issues for the future of the world we live in and humanity. Because all over the world, the problems of climate change and sustainable development have become more frequent and now affect all of us”.
Aliyu Umar
Head, Publicity subcommittee
29th October, 2023.