Shettima urges governors to work towards developing Nigeria’s agricultural sector
The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has called on all governors of Nigeria’s 36 states to work towards developing the country’s agricultural sector.
Shettima’s spokesperson Stanley Nkwocha said in a statement that the vice president implored governors to reduce dependence on food imports and increase Nigeria’s food self-sufficiency.
Vice President Nkwocha said this resonates well with the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) investment and commitment to establish Special Agro-Processing Zones (SAPZs) in the country.
Shettima made the accusation on Thursday during the 137th National Economic Council (NEC) meeting held at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“Our future challenges must be rooted in recognizing the agrarian nature of our economy,” Shettima said while opening the conference.
“We must pursue intentional value addition in the agricultural sector, from exporting primary products to creating jobs.
“Cooperation is essential to deliver the Agro-Processing Zones (SAPZ) program led by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB).
“Your Excellency, we must develop our agricultural sector towards self-sufficiency and export of processed agricultural products in line with the African Union’s Africa 2063 Agenda.
“This is also in line with AfDB’s investment and commitment to establishing SAPZs. We need to work together to leverage the comparative and complementary advantages of agriculture across the value chain of priority crops within SAPZs. there is.”
Mr. Shettima also suggested the possibility of involving the private sector in tackling the problem of floods and other natural disasters.
The Vice President added that the government cannot do it alone, given the fiscal implications of managing natural disasters.
“While we urge unity as a nation’s hope, we also recognize the fiscal implications of managing natural disasters. We cannot tackle this problem alone,” he continued.
“Innovative pools of capital from the private sector can help diversify and reduce the financial and economic risks posed by such disasters.
“This approach has been used successfully in other African countries to prepare for the unlikely but highly destructive ‘black swan’ event.
“Once again, we find ourselves carrying the weight of the nation on our shoulders. A lot has happened since our last rally, and each event has been punctuated by the reaction of the people.
“None of us here need a reminder of the direction we are headed or what it will take to come together in the midst of the storm and fulfill our promise to our people.”
He further recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had recently highlighted eight presidential priorities for his administration, which serve as a conduit for the “New Hope” agenda.
Shettima therefore called on the governor and other members of the council to “engage in seeking both short-term palliative and durable solutions to the consequences of the reforms.”
The Vice President is the Chairman of the NEC, a statutory body with the power to advise the President on national economic matters.
The NEC also includes governors of the federation’s 36 states, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Minister of Finance and other stakeholders as members.
Source: guardian.ng