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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Vice President Kashim Shettima, has reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to stimulating growth in the economy working with the private sector.
He stated this when a consortium of mid-sized agriculture companies pledged to support millions of farmers across different value chains in the country to ensure the administration’s food security programme through transformation of agricultural productivity.
According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, speaking during the group’s courtesy visit to the presidential villa on Friday, Shettima commended the efforts of the young entrepreneurs, particularly in “seeking practical solutions to challenges confronting the nation”.
While welcoming the partnership, the VP said: “Mid-sized companies like yours should be the drivers of change in our nation. We can work as a team towards addressing our core challenges.”
On President Tinubu’s commitment he said: “My boss is very much devoted to stimulating growth in the Nigerian economy, regardless of the challenges. Leadership is actually about challenges and we are mindful of them. We want collaboration from the private sector to turn agriculture into a business and dramatically change our economic landscape. We (as a nation) are one of the resource endowed countries in the world and have no business being poor.”
Shettima called on the private sector, including financial institutions, to support the Federal Government’s drive to transform agricultural production and improve the welfare of Nigerians.
Earlier in his remark, leader of the delegation and CEO of AFEX – a leading commodities exchange in Nigeria, Akinyinka Akintunde, said the group was at the presidential villa to pledge its support to government’s programmes and policies in the agricultural sector.
