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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has said the target of his team is to make Nigeria self-sufficient in food production and unlock the potential in food export so as to stimulate economic growth.
Kyari, who stated this yesterday in Abuja at the ministry after the swearing-in ceremony at the Presidential Villa, said he was ready to commit 100 % to the service of the nation.
While noting that the problems associated with food production are insecurity, flooding, pests, among others, he said the political would be driven by President Bola Tinubu to revive agriculture.
He said: “We all know the challenges that we face now. Hunger is one of the biggest problems that we have in this country and when I mean hunger, I mean food and the challenges of production, insecurity is one, flooding, pests and others.
“For me and for my colleague the Minister of State and even state governors, the biggest hope we have is the political will driven by the president.
“We saw the hope and commitment in him when he declared the food emergency. He has made a huge commitment to revive agriculture.
“I am ready and willing to commit 100 percent to the service of this nation. Our target is not just to secure and feed the country but also to export food which we have that potential”.
Also, the minister of State for Agriculture, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, said the task before this ministry was a daunting one, which he said all hands must be on deck to make Nigeria self-sufficient.
He said: “The task before this ministry is a daunting one, however, there is no mission that is impossible, but with my brother here, we will work together to overcome the challenges of food insecurity”.
In his remarks, Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, who accompanied the Ministers to the Ministry, urged both ministers to seek sustainable solutions that will address insecurity and the problem of food insecurity in Nigeria.
Zulum said Nigeria needs a sustainable long and medium term plan to address food insecurity.
He said the alternative the country has now is to invest in commercial agriculture, adopt modern agricultural techniques such as irrigation, green technology and others.
“Our population is growing while our food supply is very short. It is my sincere hope that both ministers will put heads together to revive the sector, we have vast arable agricultural land in Nigeria, over 60 percent of land mass in Nigeria is arable. We should ensure Nigeria is food secured not only in quantity but in quality”, he said.
