- NGF Chairman Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and other governors advocate for enhanced crop production, collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture
The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) reports that state governors are implementing diverse strategies to address economic challenges and food crises.
Following economic difficulties sparked by the removal of the fuel subsidy, a meeting in February urged governors to focus on resolving these issues.
NGF Chairman Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and other governors advocate for enhanced crop production, collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, and measures like lower-priced food items in Akwa Ibom and cracking down on food hoarding in Kano and Yobe. Governors Bago and Mbah are actively investing in agriculture and rural economic development to combat hunger and poverty.
The statement read in part “In the same vein, in Kano State, authorities raided warehouses where traders are suspected of hoarding food supplies.
“In Yobe State government banned bulk purchases of grain from local markets to stop hoarding and exports across Nigeria’s borders saying it was to “stem the tide of food scarcity and high cost of grains.
“In Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago announced a ban on the mass purchase of foodstuffs from local markets. He ordered security forces to confiscate trucks carrying products in bulk and share the food with the people.
“In Enugu State, Governor Peter Mbah said his administration will eradicate hunger and poverty in the state and unlock the rural economy through investment in agriculture and agro-industrialisation.
“In Zamfara state, last week, Governor Dauda Lawal hosted the Sweden Ambassador, Annika Hahn-Englund, in partnership on how to grow the state economy and address the current hardships.
The report said that Governor Abdulrazaq explained that the Anchor Borrowers Programme that was previously implemented by the Central Bank of Nigeria did not achieve much.
According to the report, the NGF chairman said “We could not achieve much with the CBN Anchor Borrowers program; it was very challenging. The issue of food security is a one-stop-shop and we need to concentrate on what we are doing. We need to concentrate on what we are doing for the dry season farming.
It stated, “The minister has come up with a program on cassava, rice, and maize and we want to engage in that program and urgently make sure we improve on our yield and deliver to the Nigerian population.
“We want to get to a stage where we export our food. What we have now is that, because of the devaluation of our naira, Nigeria’s food is being exported to West Africa and is the cheapest in the region today.
“The governors had realised that we have a new Ministry of Agriculture, because over the last four years, before this administration, the engagement was not too productive.”
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