In Minna, Tinubu pledges to reform agric sector

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has promised to undertake reforms in the agriculture sector to make it competitive.

He also promised to make the sector the bedrock of Nigeria’s new economy if he becomes president. Tinubu said this in Minna, Niger State, yesterday, during a meeting with stakeholders in the agro-allied sector, where he received endorsements from crop and livestock farmers as well as fishing communities.

The groups that endorsed the APC candidate at the town hall included: All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Maize Association of Nigeria (MAAN), Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RiFAN), Federation of Agricultural Commodity Associations of Nigeria (FACAN) and Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN).

At the event, Tinubu, who adopted the presentation by the Chairman, Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Governor Abubakar Bagudu of Kebbi State, appointed the governor to head a committee for a blueprint that will help reposition agriculture to occupy its deserved pride of place.

The presidential hopeful, in his speech entitled ‘Path to Agricultural Self-Sufficiency’, emphasised the important role agriculture played in the country’s economy before the discovery of oil.

While directing his speech to the farmers, Tinubu acknowledged that all the states in the country could offer something to ensure that the nation fully produces what it eats.

He said: “Northern Nigeria has great agricultural potential due to its abundant arable land. It must continue to march at the forefront, if the sector is to significantly advance at all.

“Every state and the Federal capital Territory (FCT) have some degree of competitive advantage in agriculture, whether horticulture or crop production, fisheries, poultry or animal husbandry. Properly developed, these assets will not only satisfy our domestic needs but will make Nigeria a global force within a short time.”

According to him, if Nigeria fully harnesses its agricultural potential, its exports will rise to the level that the citizens shall feed Sub-Saharan Africa.

Adamu, a farmer, said Tinubu would do well for Nigerian farmers because he understood their plight. Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State described Tinubu as the son of a market woman, who traversed both rural and urban communities plying her trade, adding that would connect the city and rural economy to create prosperity for the farmers.