President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has enjoined state governors across the federation to prioritize agriculture by investing in food crops in order to drive down the current high cost, just as he equally tasked Nigerians, in general, to play their part by engaging in some form of subsistence farming.
President Tinubu made this call on Thursday while speaking at the Global Integrity International Award on Good Governance and Economy, where he was also an Awardee, alongside the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka; Pa Ayo Opadokun, and others.
Tinubu bagged “Distinguished Award for Courage and Resilience in Democratic Struggle,” Pa Opadokun was awarded “Excellence in Courage for Democratic Struggle Award,” while Pipeline Infrastructure Nigeria Limited (PINL) got the award of “Best Security Company for Sustainable Oil Production, with Hon. Wale Osun bagging “Award for Excellence in People’s Liberation.”
Speaking at the event, which took place at the Airport Hotel, Ikeja, and organized by a rights group under the aegis of Nigerian Human Rights Community (NHRC), President Tinubu, who was represented by his Special Adviser (SA) on Media, Mr. Tunde Rahaman, bemoaned the high cost of foodstuff in the country, but quickly noted that often times, Nigerians appeared to be the architects of their own problems, reflecting on about two trending videos showing a certain quantity of pepper being sold for N500 “compared with what people from other ethnic groups also sell for the same amount within our own domain.
“There is another one, I am appealing to our state governors and our people generally to take agriculture seriously and invest in our food crops in order to drive down the high cost.
“We will continue to impress it on our state governors who own the lands to invest in agriculture. We must take agriculture as a priority if we want to drive down the high price. The food situation is a challenge for all of us. The government has a responsibility to power agriculture, we also have to engage in some form of subsistence farming. We must play our parts as well.
“My appeal to our people is we must invest in our country, in our own success and in the success of this administration. Often times we appear to be the architects of our own problems, by making things difficult for ourselves.
“I came across two trending videos last week that I would like to comment on and close my remarks with. There is one that shows the quantity of pepper our people sell for instance for N500 compared with what people from another ethnic group also sell for the same amount within our own domain. This is bad! We are exploiting ourselves. We must change for the better.”
The president, however, promised that his administration would do all it takes for the average Nigerian to feel the impact of governance, reiterating that Nigeria was no longer bleeding but gradually turning the corner based on his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
On his one year in office, Tinubu said he had achieved a lot, pointing out that he had moved to reset the economy and the governance processes, and also reawaken the spirit of patriotism in the citizens “by rekindling our national values,” while also ensuring adequate power generation, increased Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), more infrastructural drive, improvement in oil industry, security, among others.
According to him, his administration had recorded some remarkable successes in the area of power, saying that 5000MW of power was achieved in May for the first time in three years, with 600MW projected to be generated by the end of the year, described as worth mentioning the increasing flow of investments into the economy, like the $30 billion Foreign Direct Investment commitments already secured during the year to grow the economy, among others.
“With respect to the food situation in the country, and that’s the elephant in the room, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development launched dry season farming involving 118, 651 hectares in 15 states, with Jigawa State alone getting 40,000 hectares.
“This intervention injected an estimated N309 billion into the economy. The ministry also supported a total of 107, 429 wheat farmers with inputs resulting in an output of 474, 628 metric tonnes. More importantly, about 60,000 jobs were created across the agricultural value chain within the first year.
All of these may appear like just speaking grammar to our people. I must say, however, that as the administration’s substantial investments in enhancing security across the country begin to post concrete yields, this will positively impact agricultural productivity going into the president’s second year in office.
“There are several other innovative programs like the consumer credit designed to mobilise the manufacturing sector to produce again. This will happen when the people can fund their purchases. The sum of N100 billion has been earmarked for this. There is also a mortgage fund to support the creation of mortgages. There is the Compressed Natural Gas initiative meant to transition our people to a cheaper form of energy than petroleum for our vehicles.
“This is designed to restore energy competitiveness so that our manufacturing sector, our transport sector, and our economy will benefit from a cheaper form of energy that will support the economic reform,” the president stated.
President Tinubu, therefore, assured that the pains being experienced at present would soon give way for the full realization of the benefits of the efforts of his administration, pointing out that gradual growth was being recorded based on National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) figures which stands at 2.98% growth in the first quarter of this year, and higher than 2.31% recorded in the same period in 2023.
Speaking in his opening remark, NHRC scribe, Comrade Taiwo Adeleye, recalled the struggle for the June 12, 1993 poll won by the Late Chief MKO Abiola but which was annulled by General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, saying that those being honoured with various awards, including President Tinubu, played key role in ensuring that Nigeria attained the democracy now place.
Adeleye posited that June 12 was a lesson in itself and, therefore, the need for old and younger generations to know that “tyranny cannot last,” urging the citizens to always look for accountable leaders to be in charge of affairs of the country.
“We are giving the Award to President Tinubu because of the role he played in securing the present democracy for the country, and to remind him that he has to improve the situation in the country to ensure that efforts made by those who voted for him were not in vain.
“The reality is that Nigerians are suffering, Nigerians are not happy. We are appealing to the president, he should look at the present condition and address it,” he said.
