“Agriculture is the key to our economic growth and social development policies” – President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that the Federal Government is making efforts to ensure that Agriculture becomes more attractive to foreign investors.

He made this assurance yesterday while speaking on the theme of the 8^th annual Bola Tinubu Colloquium “Agriculture, work & revolution” at the International Conference Centre, ICC, Abuja.

The President, who chaired the event held as part of the ceremonies to mark the 64^th birthday of the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stated that there were many opportunities in the agricultural sector and expressed his disappointment at the fact that food is imported into the country rather than being exported.

“Nearly all our crop-based farming activities are dependent on rain-fed agriculture, and this makes our agricultural productivity entirely vulnerable to the effects of climate change.In the past few years, on the average, we have spent in excess of $11bn annually importing wheat, rice, sugar and fish. We need not, and indeed we cannot afford to continue on this trajectory,” he said.

He added, “Agriculture is the key to our economic growth and social investment policies. Our administration’s key strategy is to ensure that Nigeria becomes self- sufficient in the foods that we consume the most. Maize, rice, corn, millets, fruits, poultry products and their derivatives can all be produced at home if we put our hearts into it. Our policy is simple: We will produce what we eat! It is not only logical, it is necessary.”

He then implored everyone to work together thus: “I am declaring that we need a new approach that challenges more states and local governments, more organisations, companies and non-governmental organisations and individuals, some of the younger people, who are here to step up and play a role because government cannot and should not do it alone. All hands should be on deck.”