President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said the vision of
lifting 100 million Nigerians out of the poverty cycle within ten years is
realisable.
Buhari said the vision is realisable through more synergy
between government, the people and diligence in diversifying the economy, with
agriculture as the backbone.
The president spoke while commissioning the first National
Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) Integrated Farm Estate in
Suduje-Daura, on Monday.
He noted that reliance on oil had turned a drawback on the
economy over the years, with unpredictable and fluctuating global prices that
made it more difficult to effectively plan budgets, implement and measure
outcomes.
According to Buhari: “I wish to restate my commitment that
getting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty is realisable. The country is
robustly blessed with good weather conditions, good soil, human and material
capacity, and resilience to make a difference by all the hardworking youths.
“We can do it, and we will do it. No excuse will be good
enough to remain a mono-economy with all the challenges in oil production and
fluctuating global prices when we have vast opportunities in crop and livestock
production.’’
Buhari noted that a globalized world places more emphasis on
the competitive edge of the economy for relevance and Nigeria would always play
a leading role in the agricultural sector, with the vastness in experience,
crop cultivation, animal husbandry, and more recently, a rising youth interest.
“As the world becomes more globalized, countries will
continue to draw from their competitive advantage to remain relevant. My
belief, and it is also shared by many Nigerians, is that our country has a
special advantage in food and livestock productions that we must harness and
promote to feed ourselves and build a firm structure for exportation.
“Our vision of a robust agricultural economy continues to
provide amazing results. Across the country today, we are seeing rising public
and private interests in agriculture, especially among the youth and steady
migration from subsistence to commercial farming.
“With the support of public institutions, like the Central
Bank and Bank of Agriculture, old tools are giving way to more mechanized
styles of farming, credit lines are becoming more accessible, and farming is
becoming more acceptable and fashionable. Indeed, we are witnessing a
revolution in the agricultural sector,’’ the President added.
“The National Agricultural Land Development Authority
(NALDA) was already moribund when we assumed office. We had to resuscitate it
to meet the growing needs of the country. I am happy to see that the directive
to the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of NALDA, Paul Ikonne, and
his management team when I launched the National Young Farmers Scheme (NYFS) in
November 2020, is gradually taking shape.
“At the launch of the National Young Farmers Scheme, I
recall that I told the management that I have directed that all NALDA’s
abandoned farm estates be retrieved to enable thousands of our young men and
women to be engaged in farming.
“This Administration will be achieving agricultural
mechanization through this scheme and I am confident that Nigeria under my
watch, we will achieve food security in producing most of what we eat. In good
harvest years, we may even export our surpluses and earn foreign exchange.”
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