Nigeria: We’ll Build Robust Agric Economy in Yobe – Buni
The governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, has said his government is set to build a vibrant and robust economy by leveraging on agriculture.
Disclosing this yesterday in Abuja when he received the Yobe State Strategic Plan for Revitalising Agriculture facilitated by Crystal and funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he said this was intended to empower citizens, particularly the farming population, to move away from subsistence farming to modern agricultural production.
He recalled that during his inaugural address, he promised to unfold an agricultural development blueprint to make the sector attractive and profitable in the state.
“As an interim measure, over 100 tractors were procured and sold to large-scale farmers at subsidized rates. Fertilizer, improved seeds and other inputs were also made available to farmers at subsidized rates.
“In addition, in our youth empowerment programme, all the cultivation costs were shouldered by the government with the beneficiaries to pay back with a portion of their harvested crops commensurate with the amount of season.”
“Similarly, in a deliberate attempt to achieve our goals in the sector, the state government in collaboration with the federal government has concluded plans for the establishment of three livestock development centres, one in each of the three senatorial districts of the state.
“We also have plans for the enhancement of poultry and fish production as well as irrigation farming,” said Buni, who was represented by the secretary to the state government (SSG), Baba Mallam Wali.
He noted that it was a matter of delight and great pride for the state to be one of the first in the country to receive the attention of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as part of its efforts towards boosting agricultural production for food security, income and employment generation as well as diversification of the national economy.
“I, therefore, wish to express our profound gratitude to the foundation for providing this vital blueprint for the transformation of agriculture in Yobe State. Furthermore, I wish to assure you that the document would be studied and its recommendations implemented to enable our teeming farmers to break away from subsistence production,” he said.
Presenting the report, a consultant for Crystal Associate and the University of Ibadan, Prof Mohammed Kuta Yahaya, stressed the need for training farmers on mechanized agriculture.
He said farmers must be exposed to high-level skills and strategy in agriculture.
“We also need big and small dams to succeed. Women must also be actively involved in agriculture via aggressive awareness,” he added.
By Leadership.
