The import dependent profile of Nigeria may have found discomforting expression on edibles, as the country imported $628 billion, (N98 trillion) worth of food between 2007 and 2010.
This disclosure came from the new Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, in Abuja, on his assumption of duties, yesterday.
Adesina said that last alone, Nigeria spent N635 billion on import of wheat, N356 billion on importation of rice, N217 billion on sugar and N97 billion on fish import.
The minister lamented that dependence on food importation in the country undermines domestic production as well as create fiscal challenges.
“There is a problem: Fiscally, this is not sustainable. Nigeria is eating beyond its means. While we smile as we eat rice every day, Nigerian rice farmers cry as the imports undermine domestic production.
“This must stop. We must accelerate domestic rice production and improve on processing to meet quality standards. We must tap into all the resources of our farmers across our nation and deliver a green revolution for rice that will make Nigeria self-sufficient in rice production”, the minister stated
However, succour may soon come the way of Nigerian farmers as the minister has declared that his ministry would implement the transformational agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan to turn around the agricultural sector.
“I will never let Nigeria down. As Minister of Agriculture, I will work closely with the Minister of State, we will never let the farmers of Nigeria down. We will revamp the agricultural sector, we will accelerate food production in clear and visible ways that will impact the lives of our people, and we will begin the hard work of restoring the lost glory of agriculture in Nigeria”, the minister pledged.
According to Adesina, the status quo in agriculture in Nigeria is not acceptable, stressing that Nigeria, which used to be the major player in agriculture in the world has lost its place in the global community.
“In the 1960s, we had glory. That glory was visible for all to see, Nigeria accounted for 60 per cent of the global supply of palm oil, 30 per cent of groundnut, 20 to 30 per cent of groundnut oil and 15 per cent supply of cocoa, farmers from the North to South generated wealth,” he said.
Adesina declared that the days of referring to agriculture as a development programme or social sector were over, noting that agriculture is a business and must be structured, developed, resourced and financed as such.
“The days of treating agriculture as a development in Nigeria are now over. We will develop and transform the sector as a business that works for small farmers, medium and large scale farmers that will unlock wealth and allow Nigeria to meet its food needs, while becoming a major player in global food markets, to help diversify income for the nations”, he said.
Despite the challenges, the minister promised that he will, together with the minister of state, who is a season agriculturist, work to restore the lost glory of the sector.
The minister added: “I am not a stranger to agriculture. I have been working in the agricultural sector since 1981, given my background and experience, and some of the things I have done, I am confident I can do the job.”
Share Your Thoughts