Divergent reactions have started trailing the latest claims by President Muhammadu Buhari while addressing the United States President on achievements of his administration in the agricultural sector.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari had said that Nigeria’s agricultural revolution powered by him, had led to the creation of over 13million direct and indirect jobs in the last seven and half-years.
This was contained in a statement issued by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, in Washington DC, USA, at an interactive session entitled, “A conversation with President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria’’.
The event was co-hosted by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), the International Republican Institute, the National Endowment for Democracy, and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems.
The president further narrated steps taken by his administration to expand Nigeria’s economy since coming into power in 2015.
He said focused interventions in agriculture driven by the Central Bank of Nigeria transitioned the country from being a net importer of rice, Nigeria’s staple food, to becoming self-sufficient in its production.
‘‘This same scheme had financed the establishment and operations of over 50 integrated rice mills.
“It had also financed over 4.5million smallholder farmers, ensured the cultivation of almost 6million hectares of farm land and almost 700 large-scale agricultural projects had been funded.
Whereas Buhari claimed that ‘‘This agricultural revolution had led to the creation of over 13m direct and indirect jobs,’’ recent surveys carried out in rice producing states on Kebbi, Gombe, Niger, Nasarrawa, Benue and others showed that more than 65 per cent of Rice farmers have abandoned their farms to the killer Fulani herdsmen. Majority of the farmers made up the endless institution of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across the northern states.
Besides, the scenario further caused scarcity of local rice brands in Nigerian markets. Checks show that Thailand and Indian Rice brands have taken over Nigerian markets even as many Nigerians are querying the disappearance of CBN’s Rice Pyramids formed in Abuja recently.
Checks across major markets in Abuja, Lagos and others show lask of local rice brands, rather foreign smuggled rice have taken over.
