As Nigeria prepares for the 2018 raining season, President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to collaborate with commercial banks to ensure affordable capital is available to the farmers and agro dealers.
The President, who expressed satisfaction on the manner in which fertilizers were distributed to farmers in the last farming season, also the ministry of agriculture and rural development to conclude the planning for the government programmes for the 2018 season to ensure synergy.
The President, who had an audience with members of the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative (PFI) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, today, Friday, equally asked the ministry of finance and the National Security Adviser (NSA) to immediately engage the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) to conclude their orders for fertilizers.
“The NSA and the security agencies should be ready to allow and protect the movement of all agricultural goods. Specifically, issues relating to end user certificates must be prioritized.
“The NPA (Nigeria Port Authority) should provide all the necessary support required to expedite the offloading and evacuation of the imported materials.
“And finally, the NSIA and FEPSAN, under the able leadership of the Governor of Jigawa, must ensure quality and affordable fertilizer is available to farmers at the right time.
The President, who noted that farmers in the southern parts of the country will soon be planting crops, stressed that all the stakeholders, must do their bits to ensure that fertilizer is readily available.
The President, who vowed that Nigeria’s journey to self sufficiency in food security is not negotiable, said that unlike in previous Governments where trucks conveying fertiliser would miraculously disappear in transit, in 2017, none of the 3,333 trucks that participated in the last year’s programme went missing.
“I want to assure all participants of the PFI that, we will continue to provide adequate security so that this program, and its positive impact on Nigeria, is sustained.
“We are all aware of the great partnership between the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and State Governors to ensure Nigeria feeds itself. I want to encourage you to continue on this track. Specifically, you must all support programs like the PFI and work together to ensure we never return to the dark days of import dependence. I am pleased to hear that already, the CBN is working with the commercial banks on programs that will further expand and enhance the PFI.” [myad]
