Food security: Buhari’s indelible legacy largely downplayed – Lai Mohammed
Lai Mohammed, the Minster of Information and Culture, says one of the indelible legacies of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, primarily downplayed, is food security and the scaling up of made-in-Nigeria products.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, stated this on Thursday in Abuja at the 9th edition of the” PMB Administration. Scorecard Series (2015-2023)” which featured the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Olamilekan Adegbite.
The scorecard series was launched in October as part of an overall programme to showcase and document the numerous achievements of the Buhari administration.
In an opening remark, Mohammed noted that despite the crises affecting the cost of living globally, the administration had done well since assuming office in the area of self-sufficiency in most basic needs.
“I am sure many of us have seen video clips of empty supermarket shelves in the Western world, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia-Ukraine war, and economic uncertainty, which have all combined to disrupt global supply chains.
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The minister noted that the worse could have happened if the country had relied on imports to feed itself during the period of the crises.
According to the minister, the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative was a successful policy that made producing and distributing fertiliser to farmers effective.
He said the increase in the number of fertiliser blending plants in the country from 10 in 2015 to 142 and the increase in the number of rice mills also from 10 in 2015 to 80 integrated rice mills presently aided food sufficiency.
“Our farmers are now part of our economy. Companies and factories are coming up to manufacture, process, and distribute food.
“If you visit our markets and supermarkets today, what you will see mostly are ‘made in Nigeria’ products. This is huge progress in such a short time,” he said.
Responding to the question of high prices of food items, the minister assured that as the country engaged more in local food production and moved closer to achieving food security, fees would begin to fall.
“For now, we must acknowledge the success we have achieved in the area of food production and in scaling up made-in-Nigeria products,” he said.
