How Nigeria can attain Tinubu’s projection for food surplus- AFAN President

IBRAHIM QUADRI

All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has expressed delight over President Bola Tinubu’s projection that the country will become a net exporter of food, saying it is possible if right parameters are put in place.

Tinubu says there are plans to expand food production through aggressive mechanisms in the country.

In an interview with our correspondent, AFAN President, Otunba Femi Oke said the country needs food hubs that are to be situated in strategic locations where amenities are subsidized.

According to a statement issued by Ajuri Ngelale, presidential spokesperson, Tinubu spoke when he received a delegation from the Global Tijaniyya Movement led by Muhammad Mahe Niass, at the presidential Villa in Abuja.

The president said his administration would transform agriculture to make Nigeria self-sufficient in food production and exportation.

He said his plans on boosting agriculture would be achieved through “expansion of farmlands, the provision of low-interest loans to farmers, and significant investments in irrigation infrastructure.”

Reacting to this, AFAN President noted, “The projection by the president is very possible if Governments would the needful. Let’s have link with ministry of Agric.

“Let Government make loans available and let’s revamp the moribound silos. And there should be food hubs in geographical locations where there will be conducive atmosphere.”

Oke added, “The state governments will also have to come up with food hubs. In this case, the transportation will also be subsized at the locations.”

He stressed that the high cost of staple food is affecting everybody including farmers.

According to him, the inflationary trends was as a result of high cost of fuel because of removal of subsidy which led to hike in transportation fares coupled with insecurity.

He debunked the insinuation that hoarding was contributing to the scarcity of food, noting that would not happen because the country lacks adequate storage facilities.

“The storage facilities are not good. The silos are not there, so how do you hoard? The problem is high transportation fares coupled with insecurity affecting farmers in the northern part of the country.”