By Godwin Amunde
A group within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration is moving Nigeria steadily towards self-sufficiency in food production in a way that has never been witnessed since independence.
The group operating under the aegis of APC Legacy Awareness and Campaign, stated this in a statement jointly signed Wednesday in Abuja by the APC National Youth Leader, Ismaeel Ahmed; former APC National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu; Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum, PGF, Salihu Lukman, and a presidential media aide, Tolu Ogunlesi.
The group commended the administration of President Buhari for the country’s steady progress in its efforts at positioning agriculture as the fulcrum of the country’s economic development.
“Since 2015 when the administration took over, it has put no one in doubt of its determination to transform the agricultural sector as a major pillar of the country’s economy,” the group said, adding that the Buhari agricultural revolution was made up of several critical policies for the enhancement of growth and development which include the inauguration of the National Food Security Council (NFSC), Agriculture for Food and Jobs Plan (AFJP), National Livestock Transformation Plan, the Anchors Borrowers Programme and National Fertiliser Initiative (NFI).
The group further said the development clearly showed that Nigeria’s journey towards prosperity was already afoot.
The statement noted that the Coscharis Group begun cultivation of rice in 2016, on a 2,500 hectare farm in Anambra state, while in Niger state, the BUA Group was working on completing a 300 million dollars integrated facility comprising a Sugar Mill, Ethanol Plant, Sugar Refinery and Power Plant and a 20,000 Hectare Farm.
“In Kebbi, GB Foods has invested N20 billion in a Tomato Processing Factory supplied by what is said to be the single largest tomato farm in the country.
“Future phases of the investment will make it the largest processing facility for fresh tomatoes in sub-Saharan Africa,” the group said.
It added that GB Foods in July 2020, also opened its N5.5 billion Mayonnaise production facility in Ogun, which would be supplied with input from the company’s new farms in Kebbi State.
“In Lagos, Ariel Foods FZE has recently constructed and completed the biggest Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) production facility in Africa.
“In Nasarawa State, the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has recently completed work on the first phase of a multi-million-dollar animal feed processing facility and a backward-integrated 3000-hectare Maize and Soybeans Farm, in a co-investment partnership with a South African Investment Group.
“In 2021, the Dangote Group commissioned its $2 billion Fertilizer Plant, with an annual capacity of 3 million Metric Tonnes, the largest fertilizer plant in West Africa. In June 2021, the plant began delivering an average of 120 trucks of Urea per week to the Nigerian market, and is also set to target the export market across West Africa and beyond.
“State Governments are also actively keying into the President’s Agriculture vision. In 2018, Cross River commissioned a 3 billion Naira Hybrid Rice Seedlings Factory, to supply rice seedlings to farmers and governments across the country.
“Lagos State is completing the 32 Metric Tonne per hour Imota Rice Mill, which, when functional, will be one of the largest rice processing facilities in sub-Saharan Africa. The Imota Rice Mill will produce 2.4 million bags of 50kg per annum, and create an estimated 250,000 direct and indirect jobs, and will plug Lagos State firmly into the national rice value chain.
“Ekiti State is reviving its Ikun Dairy Farm, in a successful partnership with Promasidor, with a production target of 10,000 Liters of milk daily.
“In Ondo State, the 9 billion Naira Sunshine Chocolate Factory – a Public Private Partnership involving the State Government – was completed and commissioned in 2020, to take advantage of the State’s leading position in the cultivation of cocoa,” the statement added.
