…says the world relies on Nigeria for future global food security 

By Henry Umoru

AHEAD of 2023 general elections, the Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Ahmed Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerian farmers of his readiness  to invest massively in the agricultural value chain if he is elected president.

According to Tinubu, investment in the nation’s agricultural sector must be prioritized.

He noted that Nigeria holds the key to global food crisis, saying the world relies on Nigeria for future global food security. 

The former Lagos State Governor made this assertions during a meeting with farmers under the aeges of Asiwaju Farmers’ Forum from the six geo political zones of the country at his campaign office in Abuja on Friday.

Tinubu disclosed that he has strategic plans and road map capable of fortifying the nation’s agricultural sector.

He noted that he will facilitate adoption of intermediate partnership and enhanced agriculture practice to guarantee increase yields and better job opportunities for the youths.

Also speaking with other group of farmers, Tinubu’s running mate, Kashim Shettima, expressed concern over poor outputs suffered by Nigerian farmers, which according to him, result to huge annual loss as against what obtains in other parts of the world.

He informed that plans are underway to address marketing constraints to promote exports of agro products from Nigeria to Europe. 

He said, “The incoming Tinubu’s administration will invest massively in the entire agriculture value chain. The whole mantra is on increase in yield. 

“The whole mantra is on increase in yield and we cannot achieve that without embracing or adopting intermediate and enhanced agriculture practice.

“I want to assure you on behalf of our principal, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that we will align with you,” he said.

Shettima said, “The future belongs to you. The trajectory of global food security is in Africa and it is Nigeria that will make or mar that trajectory. 

“The future of Africa, I mean that of the black race, rest on the people of this country. By 2050, Nigeria would be the third most populous nation on earth, with a population of over 400,000,000 people. We have the window of transforming the anticipated demographic trajectory into demographic dividends or it would be a demographic disaster that will consume all of us. 

“We are going to work for you by God’s grace. The future belongs to you. Go to the interior of the slums and meet with the common man, anger is glaring in their faces,” he said.

The former governor of Borno state further stated, “We need to work as a people, as a family for the good of our people. We have a problem of poverty and inequality in Nigeria and Nigerian has no reason to be poor because ours is one the big oil and gas nation blessed with tremendous arable land with tremendous solid minerals buried under the soil. 

“Not only tin and columbite in Plateau and in Nasarawa where you are tilling the soil, they have plenty of mineral resources too. Most importantly, we have the human resources, we have the market to sell our products,” he said.

He however appealed to Nigerians to look beyond statistics constantly reeled out by the opposition political parties and vote for candidates with proven records.

He said, “This is why next year’s election will be different from all other elections. We have to emphasis on competence, capability, much more than any other yardstick. 

“We will work for the enthronement of an enduring peace in this country. Most importantly, our focus will be grassroots social economy empowerment programme with agriculture as the centre piece. 

“So we need to work on the people and there is no other better person with the skills to transform this nation greater than Asiwaju,” he said.

Earlier in his presentation, leader of the farmers groups,  Retson Tedheke, who doubles as the National Coordinator, Nigerian Farmers Group and Cooperative Society (NFGCS) said that  their core objective is to encourage more youths to go into agriculture.

He said government at all levels must be willing to commit more resources into the sector by providing better incentives for young farmers to make agriculture more attractive.

He however, promised to team up with his colleagues in the sector to mobilise thousands of youths across rural communities in the country for the actualisation of the Tinubu-Shettima presidential project.

“We have the strength, we have the energy, we have the capacity, age is on our side and we will do,” Retson said.