Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin-Kebbi
Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State has sought for over N200 billion in agriculture sector to improve Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and food production in Nigeria.
Governor Bagudu who stated this, on Monday, during farmers interactive forum and exhibition organized, by Daily Trust newspaper, in collaboration with the Kebbi State Ministry of Agriculture, lamented that over N200 billion had been wasted on oil subsidy without good result.
He noted that just about N54 billion invested into the agriculture sector by President Muhammad Buhari transformed the sector within two years in Nigeria, especiallty with the improvement in rice production.
“In the last two years, President Buhari supported Nigeria’s Governor with N1.23 trillion to pay worker’s salaries. He also released N500 billion for social investment making a total of N1.73 trillion. The money that goes to Anchor Borrowers is less than N100 billion. Just about N54 billion invested on agriculture by President Buhari has transformed Nigeria to rice producing nation among the comity of nations .”
Governor Bagudu also noted that if Brazil could invest over $100 billion on Soya beans and sugar cane and got output of over $200 billion, Nigeria, he believed, should be toeing the path to turn around the agriculture sector.
Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC), Maikanti Baru, represented by Abdulganiyu Sanni, described the exhibition as a laudable initiative. He said the NNPC would strengthen its relationship with stakeholders willing to invest in agriculture.
In his remarks, Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, represented by a Director in the Ministry, Engr. Abdullahi Sheu, disclosed that over 100 unemployed youths in Kebbi State have been trained and empowered on farming, stressing that the Federal Government was ready to invest more on agriculture.