THE Federal Government's policies on agriculture would not only help in creating job opportunities for Nigerians but also assist in developing the rural populace, the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sonny Echono has said.

Echono spoke yesterday at the 18th annual lecture of Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) Ilorin. The theme of the lecture was "Food Security, Employment Generation and Wealth Creation in a Developing Economy: The Role of Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) Value Chain Development."

He saw in agriculture a great potential for economic growth just as he promised that the Federal Government would make the sector more profitable towards boosting the nation's Gross National Product, (GNP).

Besides, he believed that the ARMTI with its calibre of staff and experience in agriculture, training and rural development over the years would play a vital role in the Federal Government's proposition.

He said, "with the huge and formidable potential in agriculture that this nation has, it will be a serious disservice to national growth and development if agriculture is denied the attention it deserves.

"For example, agriculture contributes about 40 percent of the national GDP and has the capacity to generate over 70 percent of all employment opportunities. What's more, the majority of the over 150 million population of our country is spread basically across the rural communities where agriculture is the mainstay."