Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has praised the agricultural programme of the Niger State Government under the leadership of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago likening the scheme to his Operation Feed the Nation Policy launched in 1976.
Obasanjo, however, said the Bago programme would succeed because of the availability of modern agricultural equipment in the country and globally.
Exchanging views with a delegation of Commissioners and Special Advisers of the Niger State Government, who paid him a courtesy visit at his Otta farm in Ogun State, former President Obasanjo “emphasised that with modern equipment now available, the impact of such initiatives can be even greater than before”
Obasanjo highlighted the critical importance of agricultural self-sufficiency, stating that, “Until Nigeria begins to feed itself, the challenges facing the country will persist. A nation that cannot feed itself is sitting on a ticking time bomb.”
Obasanjo, therefore, advised governors in the country “to follow the Niger State lead in agricultural development to ensure that Nigeria can produce the majority of its own food”
In a statement on the visit made available to newsmen in Minna on Sunday and signed by the Senior Special Adviser Print Media to the Governor, Aisha Wakaso, Obasanjo encouraged Niger State to continue investing in agriculture and explore modern methods to enhance existing practices.
He expressed his intention to visit Niger State with his team to learn from its progress and exchange ideas to improve and add value to his own agricultural endeavors.
Obasanjo also advised Nigerians to consider investing in soilless farming, warning that with the current rate of land use, Nigeria could soon face a shortage of arable land,adding also that innovative farming techniques were essential to sustaining the nation’s agricultural productivity.
The statement, however, emphasised the Niger State government’s commitment to advancing agriculture and would continue to seek out and implement innovative solutions to ensure the state’s and the nation’s food security.
Laleye Dipo
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