By Asmau Ahmad
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has welcomed the provision of 538.05 million Dollars for the first phase of the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ) for Nigeria programme.
The facility was provided by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Islamic Development Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development.
In a statement, Femi Adesina, said the President Buhari made his feelings known in his goodwill message to the Feed Africa Summit of Heads of State and Government on Wednesday in Dakar, Senegal.
The Nigerian leader called on his counterparts to embrace innovative policies that ensure the continent’s citizens eat what they produce as well as export the surplus.
He also urged the African leaders to demonstrate political will and re-commit themselves to transformation of agriculture in the continent.
While noting the rising inflation globally and the effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict that have driven up food prices, especially for basic staples such as wheat and maize, Buhari listed measures that African leaders must take to change the status quo.
The president said: ‘Feeding Africa is an imperative. We must ensure that we feed ourselves today, tomorrow and well into the future.
“The starting point is to raise agricultural productivity. This requires the access of farmers to quality farm inputs, especially improved seeds, and fertilisers and mechanisation. To succeed, we must strongly support farmers.”
He declared further that: “There is no doubt that we need to subsidise our farmers, but we must do so in ways that are transparent, remove rent seeking behaviour and effectively deliver support to farmers.
‘‘The share of budget allocation to agriculture should be increased across Africa, especially for investments in critical public goods, such as research and development, infrastructure, especially roads, irrigation and energy.
‘‘As leaders, let us decisively ensure that we meet the 10% allocation of our budgets to agriculture as agreed in the Malabo Declaration of the African Heads of State and Government.”
President Buhari added that leaders must reduce the rate of rural to urban migration through the development of rural areas.
He noted that the future of agriculture in Africa would depend on getting more youths into agriculture, which means making agriculture attractive for them.
The Nigerian leader therefore requested that the Food and Agriculture Delivery Compacts arising from the Summit must address ways to improve empowerment of youths and women in agriculture.
Buhari commended President of the AfDB, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, for the vision to drive the Summit, together with the African Union Commission.
