President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration remains committed to ensuring that Nigeria does not depend on other countries for food supply.
The President said this on Friday when he met with members of the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI) and the Fertilisers Supplier Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) at the State House in Abuja.
“Nigeria’s journey to self-sufficiency and food security is not negotiable,” he said.
At the meeting, President Buhari received a presentation from Jigawa State Governor, Badaru Abubakar, and FEPSAN President, Thomas Etuh, who led members of the groups to the Aso Villa.
He commended the groups for their efforts in ensuring the production of quality fertilisers, as well as making it available and affordable across the country.
The President, who urged them to continue the good work, noted that the development serves as one of the factors for the nation’s progress, owing to his administration’s economic diversification effort.
He said: “Unless we create an inclusive and diversified economy, the progress of our country and its future generations will always be held hostage by external factors such as global oil prices.”
On the distribution of fertiliser across the country, President Buhari took a swipe at the previous governments, saying trucks conveying the products disappeared “miraculously” in transit before he assumed office.
He was, however, delighted that “none of the 3,333 trucks that participated in this programme went missing” in 2017.
The President further assure participants of the PFI that the Federal Government would continue to provide adequate security in a bid to ensure that the positive impacts of the programme on Nigeria are sustained.
He also directed relevant agencies, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) to ensure affordable capital is available to farmers and provide all the necessary support required to expedite the offloading and evacuation of the imported materials.
