President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday in Daura, Katsina State, disclosed
that he has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stop providing
foreign exchange for importation of food into the country, with the
steady improvement in agricultural production, and attainment of full
food security.
The President, who hosted All Progressives Congress (APC) governors to
Eid-el-Kabir lunch at his country home in Daura, said the foreign
reserve will be conserved and utilized strictly for diversification of
the economy, and not for encouraging more dependence on foreign food
import bills.
“Don’t give a cent to anybody to import food into the country,” he
said.
President noted that some states like Kebbi, Ogun, Lagos, Jigawa, Ebonyi
and Kano had already taken advantage of the Federal Government’s policy
on agriculture with huge returns in rice farming, urging more states to
plug into the ongoing revolution to feed the nation.
“We have achieved food security, and for physical security we are not
doing badly,”he said.
President Buhari said he was particularly delighted that young
Nigerians, including graduates, had started exploring agric-business and
entrepreneurship, with many posting testimonies of good returns on their
investments.
President Buhari said the incoming ministers will be “taught” and
thoroughly guided to ensure they meet the targets of the APC-led
government for the people, with regular monitoring of their performances
and scaling up of targets by the Office of the Secretary to the
Government of the Federation (OSGF).
The President assured that he will attend the Presidential Policy
Retreat organized for the ministers by the OSFG, and insisted on
compliance with laid down targets on key sectors of the economy that
will directly impact on the livelihood of Nigerians.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and
Governor of Ekiti State, Dr John Kayode Fayemi, said the President’s
sense of justice, fairness and forthrightness had turned a major
inspiration to governors on the way forward for the country.
He said the challenges faced by states “were enormous”, but the
governors had remained undaunted, assuring the President of strong
support and “the very best effort” to overcome all the obstacles.
The Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum and Governor of Kebbi
State, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu, appreciated the President for the unique
leadership style of maintaining a healthy relationship with governors on
individual and collective basis, pointing out that they had been
“energized” to do more in their states.
The governor commended the President for making bold and courageous
efforts to reposition the economy for majority Nigerians through
inclusive policies.
“The country is more secure than in 2015, and the country is more
prosperous than in 2015 because you are working for the majority of the
people,” he added.
The governor said the party had been repositioned, after the 2019
elections, to work for the benefit of the majority of Nigerians, noting
that “there will two elections this year and we need to work towards
winning the two states.”