THE $1.4 billion committed by Bill and Melinda Foundation Nigeria and other African countries is to spur the region-led innovation to build a pipeline of climate-smart agriculture projects for smallholder farmers.
Interim Director, Agricultural Development of the Foundation, Mr. Enock Chikava, dropped the hint yesterday in a chat with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt on the sidelines of the ongoing United Nations (UN) Conference on Climate Change.
Chikava, who said $2.1 million would be spent on research and development in agriculture sector in Nigeria, noted that the Foundation would mobilise $9 million for technologies to help the region make a difference in livestock and crop.
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He said: “Our focus is 100 per cent on smallholder farmers. If you look at the impact of climate change over the years, which I am sure in your own country, last year there was a severe drought and this year floods.
“So, if you look at that, there are so many things which are against the people livelihood, because a 50 per cent of your people depend on agriculture and if the 30 per cent of your economy is driven by agriculture, it means you need to
