President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged to focus on the development of irrigation facilities in Nigeria and to encourage more people into Agriculture.
President made the pledge during the 6th regular meeting with the Presidential Economic Advisory (PEAC) led by Professor Doyin Salami on Friday at the State House, Abuja.
“We need to go back to the land. Technology is doing away with Petroleum, but we are lucky we have other resources; Gas, vast arable land, which we are not using enough,” he said.
This was in response to Professor Salami disclosure in his presentation, that only 2% of land under cultivation is irrigated, recommending that apart from government efforts, incentives are needed for private people to enter the sector.
On the security challenges, which PEAC said was having great repercussions on the economy, President Buhari urged leadership at every level to go back to the basics, from Ward, to Local Council, States, and then to the Federal.
He condemned the situation in which some unprincipled people undermine every policy of government, not minding the good it was meant to achieve for the country.
“Some people are mercilessly against this country.
”We closed the borders to control the smuggling of petroleum products, and check the influx of smuggled goods, arms and ammunition. That was when the Comptroller General of Customs called me, saying 40 tankers laden with petrol had been impounded. I told him to sell the fuel, sell the trucks, and put the money in the treasury.
“They still brought arms and ammunition into the country, brought in rice in vehicles and motorcycles. I said shoot anyone found illegally with AK-47, yet they haven’t stopped. People must show consideration for their own country,” the President said.
Among other issues recommended by PEAC are; decisive end to all forms of insecurity in the country, mobilisation of resources for investment and hastened implementation of agricultural reform policies.
Others issues were the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) as a basis for revitalising the industry, poverty reduction, employment generation, and incentives for private investment in irrigation, to promote all-year-round farming.