President Muhammadu Buhari has again reiterated his commitment to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty.
The president said Nigerians need to support his government to achieve the feat, adding that there must be synergy between the government and the people.
He spoke during the commissioning of the first National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) Integrated Farm Estate in Katsina.
He expressed concern that Nigeria’s reliance on oil had left the country in retrogression for many years with unpredictable and fluctuating global prices of oil which had become the major problem.
He said the mainstay of the Nigerian economy remains agriculture, where the country already commands a competitive advantage with good weather conditions for crop and livestock farming, available manpower and willingness to learn new skills and good soil types for all-season farming.
He said, “We can do it, and we will do it. No excuse will be good enough to remain a mono-economy with all the challenges in oil production and fluctuating global prices when we have vast opportunities in crop and livestock production,” Buhari was quoted as saying in a statement issued by his spokesman, Garba Shehu.
“I wish to restate my commitment that getting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty is realisable. The country is robustly blessed with good weather conditions, good soil, human and material capacity, and resilience to make a difference by all the hardworking youths.
“As the world becomes more globalised, countries will continue to draw from their competitive advantage to remain relevant. My belief, and it is also shared by many Nigerians, is that our country has a special advantage in food and livestock productions that we must harness and promote to feed ourselves and build a firm structure for exportation.
“Our vision of a robust agricultural economy continues to provide amazing results. Across the country today, we are seeing rising public and private interests in agriculture, especially among the youth, and steady migration from subsistence to commercial farming.
“With the support of public institutions, like the Central Bank and Bank of Agriculture, old tools are giving way to more mechanized styles of farming, credit lines are becoming more accessible, and farming is becoming more acceptable and fashionable. Indeed, we are witnessing a revolution in the agricultural sector.”