By Amidu Arije
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Agriculture and Food Security, Hon. Abiodun M. Yinusa has flagged off the distribution of over 5,000 bags of fertilisers to South-West farmers in Lagos State.
The distribution of the fertilisers to the South West zone farmers under the aegis of the Renewed Hope Agricultural Intervention for Farmers was facilitated by Hon. Yinusa.
Hon Yinusa who was represented on the occasion by the duo of Mr. Rafiu Lawal and Hon. Taiwo Ayedun (aka Shanana) assured of President Tinubu’s continued support for farmers across the nation and determination to end food problem in the country.
The farmers which cut across all stakeholders in the Farming, Agro processing and Food production value chain who benefited were delighted in the historic Renewed Hope Agricultural Intervention for Farmers fertiliser distribution.
Mrs. Kudirat Ande who is the President of She-Farmers Initiative in her remarks at the flag off ceremony, asserted that the gesture is well received by clusters of respective farming groups whom has been brought together to receive the ferterlizers across the region and she appreciated the magnanimity of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration to farmers.
Speaking further, Ande said it will go a long way in boosting food production and ensuring that there is also food security within the region. The strategy, she said is such that all uncultivated lands in South-West will be occupied and cultivated for food production so as to maximise this opportunity of giving farmers inputs to assist them in boosting their efforts.
She assured that all stakeholders in the Agro Processing which include the All Farmers Association of Nigeria have all resolved to come together to change the narratives and show much more commitments which is the most potent tool towards getting massive supports from the Federal Government to commercialise the entire farming activities through strategic engagement of women and youths.
In her words; “Nigeria is a land that is blessed with so many commodities across the length and breath of of the country; each state is endowed with peculiar cash crops in abundance for local production as well as export which can boost our economy, we are determined to scale up farming activities by ensuring all women and men farmers come together to do commercial farming in order to bridge wide gap between subsistence farming and mechanised farming with necessary support from the government; we need to take ownership of this government which belongs to all of us and we should all embrace Nigeria as one united entity that is not divided by religion, politics, tribe and other forms of divides”
The representatives of the SA to President on Agriculture and Food Security; Mr. Rafiu Lawal and Hon. Taiwo Ayedun (Shanana) in their goodwill messages assured the farmers of much more support from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.
The duo admonished all stakeholders to embrace this initiative that is being flag off in Lagos with intention to spread it across the entire South-West in the coming days.
“The government is ready and willing to closely work with farmers and as well as other stakeholders in the Agro processing value chain by providing necessary support aimed at facilitating improved mechanised farming, capacity building, agro processing equipments and ensuring consistent supply agricultural inputs as well as other support services that will guarantee increase in food production,” Mr Lawal said.
The fertilizers were presented to beneficiaries across board with assurance that other states within the region will begin to get their own bulk immediately.
