Buhari allocates N118.98 bn for Ministry of Agriculture in 2018 budget

    

President Muhammadu Buhari has disclosed the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has been allocated the sum of 118.98 billion naira  for its capital expenditure in the 2018 budget. He also declared his administration’s determination to protect investments and encourage more investments in the sector.

In his 2018 budget presentation at the National Assembly in Abuja, President Buhari identified crop production as one of the main contributors to the growth of the non-oil sector, which he said rose to 0.45 per cent in the second quarter of 2017 owing to government’s ongoing financial, capacity building and infrastructural development programmes.

He stressed that provisions in the 2018 Budget have been made to complete ongoing Irrigation Projects at Ada, in Enugu State; Lower Anambra, in Anambra State; and Gari, in Jigawa State. According to him, these would support the factories and projects commissioned in Kebbi, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Anambra, Edo, Jigawa, Rivers, Niger, Ogun and Ebonyi States this year, which indicates a clear statement that economic diversification and inclusive growth ambitions are truly coming to fruition.

“The agricultural sector played a crucial role in Nigeria’s exit from recession. Today, it remains the largest employer of labour and holds significant potential to realize our vision of re positioning Nigeria as a food secured nation,” he said.

The President expressed delight that several investors have deployed significant capital in the production and processing of rice, sugar, maize, soya, cassava, yams, tomato, oil palm, rubber and poultry, adding that there has been increased investment in the agro-inputs for the manufacturing sector such as fertilizers.

He further pledged that his administration would consolidate on existing policies and develop new ones to ensure the numerous value chain challenges in the agricultural sector are addressed.

On food security, President Buhari said his administration will not relent in discouraging smuggling in order to promote local production.

“Food Security is an important aspect of this Administration’s National Security agenda. Any person involved in smuggling of food items is a threat to our National Security and will therefore be dealt with accordingly. A Committee chaired by the Vice President is working on this matter. A key part of their work will be the reactivation of the Badagry Agreement signed between Nigeria and the Republic of Benin in 2003. This agreement, which was abandoned by previous Administrations, established a mutually beneficial framework for the two neighbors and allies to partner in tackling smuggling and other cross border crimes. I would like to assure investors in the agricultural value chain that the menace of smuggling will be handled decisively,” he said.

The president noted that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in partnership with development partners and the private sector, has embarked on numerous capacity building projects including the completion over 33,000 hectares of Irrigation Projects to increase water availability in key food producing states.

He added that the government would continue to intensify interventions through the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme and the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative to ensure that the ongoing momentum is sustained.

“To further support investors and State Governments, we will accelerate the establishment of at least 6 Staple Crop Processing Zones, in the first phase. This initiative will develop infrastructure for the production, processing and storage of strategic commodities. The focus is on backward integration for grains, horticulture, livestock, fisheries and sugar; as well as exportable commodities such as cocoa, cassava and oil palms,” he said.

Addressing Social Investment Schemes in the sector, Muhammadu Buhari noted that more than 4.5 million pupils in public schools from Primary 1 to Primary 3 are benefiting from the School Feeding programme and over 200,000 unemployed graduates have been employed under the N-Power Scheme in education, health and agricultural sectors.

He pledged his government’s commitment to sustaining the implementation of both the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme, and the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme in 2018, stating that these initiatives are already creating jobs and economic opportunity for local farmers and cooks, providing funding to artisans, traders and youths, as well as supporting small businesses with business education and mentoring.

The president concluded his speech by enjoining all Nigerians to work together to protect and sustain the government’s mantra of change to create a new Nigeria that not only feeds itself, but optimally utilises its resources to manifest a diversified, sustainable and inclusive economy.

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