With Increased Investments, Nigeria Can Do More in Agriculture – president Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that with increased investments in the agriculture sector, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, Nigeria can produce more food.

The President made this known during a bilateral meeting with Her Majesty, Queen of The Netherlands, Máxima Zorreguieta, at the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, USA, on Wednesday

Buhari noted that Nigeria was well aware of her limitations, and thus prioritized the provision of infrastructure.

He noted that when the borders with some neighbouring countries were closed to encourage farmers “and eat what we grow”, people went back to the land and the status helped the country tremendously.

Buhari said, “We made fertilizers available, resuscitated dams, and it all paid off handsomely. Otherwise, with about 200 million people, we would have been in trouble when COVID-19 struck, and affected the economy.

“We have the land, we have the people, capital input is what we need,” President Buhari said

The president also pointed out that the Nigerian farmers were quite receptive to modern ways of doing things, especially in respect of cutting post-harvest wastages.

On her part, H.E Queen Zorreguieta lauded the huge effort made by Nigeria to combat the Coronavirus pandemic saying “you spent a great part of your GDP.”

Zorreguieta said that she had a huge commitment to Nigeria and would want to support the country to do more.

“You won’t be alone. We will be there along with other partners,” She affirmed.

According to the Queen, agriculture was music to her ears, being the daughter of a former Minister of Agriculture, and her biggest plea would be for Nigeria to make infrastructure available so that investors and aid donors can access areas beyond the major cities.

“We need roads, railways, and digital financial inclusion for farmers. The government needs to digitize all payments,” Zorreguieta said.