Tinubu to govs: It’s getting late, we must produce food for Nigerians

President Bola Tinubu has urged state governors to work together to meet the needs of citizens, saying nothing is more important than producing high-quality food for Nigerians.

Tinubu stated that he is willing to provide the needed support to ensure that Nigerians are relieved of hardship.

The president said this during the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday, June 27, 2024.

While emphasising the urgency of boosting food production, Tinubu noted that the Sokoto-Badagry Highway is a pivotal project as the states within this axis form the food belt of the nation, with Badagry being an important artery for food export.

He said: “Our states must work together to deliver on the critical reforms required of us to meet the needs of our people. Time is humanity’s most precious asset. You can never have enough of it. It is getting late.

“We are ready and able to support you in the form of the mechanisation of your agricultural processes and the provision of high-quality seedlings.

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“We are prepared to provide solar-powered irrigation facilities to support our farmers across seasons, but we must now produce. We must produce the food our people eat, and it will require coordination and intentionality between members of the National Economic Council (NEC).

“There is nothing we are doing that is more important than producing high-quality food for our people to consume, buy, and sell. We create jobs in the production of it. And that is before we generate wealth by exporting the excess. It is not beyond us to achieve this for Nigerians.

“How much support do you need from me and in what form? I am prepared to provide it. But we must achieve the result. We must deliver on our targets at all levels.

“Please report back following your consultations and submit to my office within seven days.”

The Star