From John Adams, Minna
Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, yesterday met with group of northern agro farmers in Minna, Niger State capital where he assured them of his administration’s support if elected in 2023.
He also promised to revive the agricultural sector and give farmers adequate protection amidst growing security challenges in other to boost local food production.
The former Lagos State governor told the farmers from the 19 northern states who converged on the Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre, the Bank of Agriculture would be restructured to enable farmers easy access to loans while animal husbandry would also be enhanced to ensure food sufficiency.
According to him, administration would do everything possible to curb importation of food and encourage local production and exportation through improved farming activities as well as curb the phenomenal of climate change causing flooding and destroying several farms across the country.
“I sympathise with you who have been victims of the flood ravaging the country. We will be on your side to implement all our programmes and keep our promises to you farmers. You are the life blood of the nation and we guarantee you to be our brother’s keeper.”
Tinubu used the occasion to announce the appointment of the Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, as chairman of the Committee that would fashion out blueprint for the revival of the country’s agricultural sector.
He pointed out that he understood the challenges facing the agricultural sector and farmers in the country and therefore has a plan towards achieving a complete overhauling of the sector for the survival of the country.
Earlier, Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council and Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, had said the council targets 25 million votes from farmers across the country.
Lalong, who urged heads of cooperatives and association of farmers to mobilise their members to vote APC said Tinubu had a plan to develop agricultural sector from subsistence to commercial to achieve food sufficiency in the country.
Governor Bagudu emphasised the need to invest in all sectors of agriculture to create jobs and improve living conditions of farmers.
Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, earlier in his welcome address, said his government had invested in agriculture and its value chain to enhance food production.