Food security: Osun Govt partners FG on National Agriculture Sample Census (NASC)
… As five-day workshop to train enumerators kicks off in Osogbo
Abimbola Abatta
The State Government of Osun, in a bid to address the challenges and bridge the gap of inadequacies in data related to agriculture, has partnered the Federal Government and World Bank on a National Agriculture Sample Census (NASC).
Consequently, a five-day workshop, to train the enumerators of the census, was kicked off in Osogbo on Wednesday with the major aim to enhance food security and sufficiency.
Declaring the workshop open, Governor of Osun, Adegboyega Oyetola said the programme is also aimed at providing basic data on the structure of agriculture as well as providing a frame that will be used for subsequent agricultural surveys.
Oyetola, who was represented at the programme by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Research and Statistics, Dr Isiaka Olarewaju said apart from providing data needed to formulate policies, the exercise will also provide the country with comprehensive and detailed information about the structure of the economy.
The Governor said the training workshop is the culmination of an extensive period of planning and preparation that has included a Pre-test Study, Pilot exercise, several rounds of sensitisation workshops, and a Training of Trainers, which has been going on for weeks.
According to him, “The Agricultural sector holds a critical place in our lives as Nigerians. This sector alone, through its various activities, accounts for approximately 25% of the national economy and employs over 50% of the workforce of the country, both directly and indirectly.
“In the State of Osun, Agriculture is equally an important economic activity. It is one of the largest sectors of our economy and a very crucial sector for the State.
“As a country, it is very important to know what Agricultural items we produce and how much of it we produce; What parts of the country they are produced, and the kinds of inputs needed; the size of manpower engaged, and the sort of challenges encountered and what other potentials exist within the sector.
“All of these kinds of information are what the NASC exercise seeks to collect. When completed, it will provide a statistically sound base of data for the policymakers, both public and private, as well as State governments, to take important decisions on how to increase the total output and develop it to maximise its potentials throughout the entire value chain,” the Governor stated.
In a welcome address at the occasion, the State Officer of the National Bureau of Statistics, Mr Nureni Adeleke said the exercise will be carried out in 340 enumeration centers across the State of Osun to break the jinx associated with weak agriculture data gathering.
While explaining that the entire process will be carried out digitally for the first time, Mr Adeleke said the Bureau has secured newly demarcated digitise enumeration area maps from the National Population Commission, which will be deployed for the conduct of this census.
In their separate goodwill messages, the General Manager, Osun State Agricultural Development Program (OSADEP), Mr L. A Lasisi, the Director, Census and Survey of the State Bureau of Statistics, Mr Yemi Ijidele and the Director, Economic Statistics, Mr Segun Okedele all commended the effort, saying it will go a long way in boosting food production.
The enumerators who will be trained for five days were drawn from the National Bureau of Statistics, State Bureau of Statistics, Osun Ministry of Agriculture and Osun State Agricultural Development Programme (OSADEP).
