Nigeria’s Agric Revolution is Real,Touching Lives Positively Minister
Solomon Chung,Dutse
The Nigerian agricultural revolution is a reality that can be felt from both the economic and life uplifment point of view of the citizenry, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said.
The Minister further stated that the Anchor Borrowers Programme and the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative are revolutionizing agriculture in the country.
The Minister made the remarks in Birnin Kudu, Jigawa State, when he led a Federal Government delegation on an inspection of Malam Alu Agro Allied Company Limited, which also hosts the tallest national flag
pole in Nigeria and the second in Africa at 50 metres high.
He said the Anchor Borrowers Programme, which was launched by the Federal Government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria, in 2015 to boost the nation’s agricultural sector!, has now catalysed the
production of such crops as rice, maize, wheat and tomato, among others, and boosted local production as well as conserved the nation’s
foreign exchange through marked reduction in importation.
“Then, there is the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative, which is aimed
at stimulating local production of NPK fertilizer by reviving moribund
fertilizer plants and the local blending ferilizer industry, making fertilizer available to Nigerian farmers at affordable prices and
saving $200 million in foreign exchange and N60 billion in budgetary
provision for fertilizer subsidy, and of course creating thousands of
jobs in the process,” he said.
Alhaji Mohammed lauded the foresight of the Jigawa State Governor,
Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, for keying into the initiatives, thus
attracting private investments like the Malam Alu Agro Allied Company
Limited, to his state.
“With these and the ingenious programmes of the state government,
Jigawa is a shining example of the success of the Federal Government
Agricultural Revolution. I implore other farmers and other states to
take advantage of the Anchor Borrowers Programme and the Presidential
Fertilizer Initiative to revolutionize agriculture in their areas,” he
said.
The Minister commended the Chairman of Malam Alu Agro Allied Company
Limited, Alhaji Faruk Adamu Aliyu, for his massive investment not just
in agriculture but in tourism by hoisting the tallest national flag
pole on the farm, which will go a long way in attracting tourists to
Birnin Kudu.
“Today’s visit is a double-barrelled one, aimed at showcasing
successes in agriculture as well as in tourism. Malam Farouk has, as
they say, used one stone to kill two birds. Not only is he showcasing
success in agriculture, he is also helping to make Jigawa a choice
destination for tourists by erecting the tallest Nigerian flag pole in
the country. This is good thinking for which I commend him,” he said.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Malam Alu Agro Allied Company Limited,
Alhaji Faruk Aliyu, said the 70-hectare sprawling complex is involved
in poultry farming with 120,000 layers and broilers, dairy with 400
heads of cattle, a 40-tonne per hour fertilizer blending plant, and a
greenhouse that produces between 15 and 20 tonnes of tomatoes weekly
among other farm products.
He said he decided to erect the second tallest national flag on the
African Continent in order to solidify the nation’s unity and inspire
patriotism among Nigerians.
“This is all in furtherance to uniting the country and making our
people believe in our country,” he said.
On his part the State governor,Alhaji Badaru Abubakar applauded the Fedetal government agric Initiative and said it was the key to the states success in thew sector.
The governor also charged other indigenes of Jigawa state to come home and invest so as to add value to the state and also empower the people economically.
The Minister was accompanied on the visit by the Directors-General of
the National Orientation Agency, Dr. Garba Abari; Nigerian Television
Authority, Mallam Yakubu Ibn Mohammed; Federal Radio Corporation of
Nigeria, Dr. Mansur Liman; Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation,
Mr. Folarin Coker and the National Commission for Museum and
Monuments, Prof. Abba Isa Tijani.
