President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration has broken the fertilizer jinx that has bedeviled the country’s agricultural sector for decades, saying the commodity is now available in all local governments across the country at affordable rates.
The president said this on Sunday when he received representatives of community and development associations from Daura Emirate at his private residence in Daura, Katsina State.
The association representatives were at the president’s place to congratulate him on his election for a second term.
The President told his guests Nigerians were already benefiting from the good agricultural policies of his government, as lifestyles are changing and standards of living among the poor on the rise.
‘‘Nigerians are already benefiting from the good agricultural policies of this administration. I can say that lifestyles of an average Nigerian involved in agriculture are changing and standards of living among the poor are rising.
“Investments in agriculture will be sustained. In the last three and a half years, the contributions of agriculture to gross domestic product (GDP) have been impressive, in addition to earnings from food exports.
“I can boast we have broken the fertilizer jinx. The product is today available in all local governments at low prices. More measures are in the offing to transform the lives of millions of Nigerians across the country,” he said.
The president pledged to introduce new programmes and projects that would make agriculture more attractive to Nigerians and increase jobs in the sector.
Under the Presidential Fetiliser initiative (PFI), the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) has revamped and restored production in about 20 fertiliser-blending plants in 2018.
The revamped fertilizer-blending plants have the capacity to deliver about million bags of fertilizer at about N5,500 per bag, about 30 percent below market prices.
The PFI was President Buhari’s initiative to boost farming output and reduce the economy’s dependence on oil.
A retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Sani Daura, who was also at the event, said the president’s honesty and integrity in public governance would remain a thing of pride to the community.
Mr Daura said the president’s those attributes, among others, guaranteed his re-election.
Also, a youth representative, Mohammed Sale, commended the Federal Government for establishing an irrigation scheme, skills acquisition centre and completing a sub-station to boost electricity in the community.
He appealed for a new Federal Medical Centre and a university in Daura.
‘‘The youths are ready to participate actively in the next level of your government,’’ Mr Sale told the president.
Later at a separate event in Daura, a victory party to celebrate the president’s re-election was organized by Porridge Dealers (Fura da Nunu) Association in the ancient town.
The president, who was represented at the fete by his senior aides and family members, joined the local community to some traditional singing, dancing and exchange of gifts. (NAN)
