From John Adams Minna
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has commended the Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago for his transformative approach towards agriculture and food security in the state, describing the initiative as a well come development
Obasanjo gave the commendation when a delegation of Commissioners and Special Advisers from the State paid him a courtesy visit in his home town Abeokuta, Ogun state.
The special adviser on print media to the governor, Aisha Wakaso in a statement in Minna quoted the former president as saying that food security is key to national development.
He hailed the governor for taken a commendable steps towards food security.
The former President expressed his admiration for Bago’s initiative towards agriculture and food security, likening it to his “Operation Feed the Nation” policy as military head of state in 1976, stressing that food sufficiency guaranteed peace and stability of a nation.
He emphasized that with modern equipment now available, the impact of such initiatives can be even greater than before, saying that the whole world has now fully embraced mechanized farming through modern equipment.
Obasanjo who further highlighted the critical importance of agriculture and food self-sufficiency, stated that, “Until Nigeria begins to feed itself, the challenges facing the country will persist. A nation that cannot feed itself is sitting on a time bomb”, he submitted.
He urged other state governors to follow Niger State’s footprint in agricultural development to ensure that Nigeria can produce the majority of its own food.
The former President encouraged Niger State to continue investing in agriculture and to explore modern methods to enhance existing practices. He expressed his intention to visit Niger State with his team to learn from their 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. He stressed that innovative farming techniques are essential to sustaining the nation’s agricultural productivity.
The Niger State government remains committed to advancing agriculture and will continue to seek out and implement innovative solutions to ensure the state’s and the nation’s food security.
The visit availed the delegation opportunity to take a tour of a cutting-edge soilless farm, where young Nigerlites are undergoing training in innovative agricultural techniques for eventual replication in Niger State.