A former Minister of State for Science and Technology, Chief Henry Ikechukwu Ikoh, has applauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agriculture and food security initiatives, urging Nigerians to support his vision and efforts through positive actions and patriotic attitudes.
The former minister, in an articulated document on the president’s state of emergency declaration, issued to Blueprint, Wednesday, described the process of resuscitating the nation’s ailing economy undertaken by the federal government as “requiring practical steps by a courageous leader like President Bola Tinubu.”
Chief Ikechukwu said: “In his commitment to the declaration of state of emergency on food security and his resolve on foreign direct investment (FDI) with special focus on agriculture, President Tinubu has attained yet another milestone in the development of the agricultural industries by attracting Brazilian investors to develop the country’s livestock and agriculture.
“Presently in far away Brazil, which is hosting the BRICCS Summit, he has secured the cooperation of the Brazilian government to partner with the Nigerian government in the development of the nation’s agriculture.”
The former minister described the agreement as a landmark achievement, targeting at large scale food production, exportation and job creation, stressing that the efforts need the right attitude and support of all Nigerians.
Continuing, he added: “Nigeria’s agriculture policy and programme under this administration is a visible transformative agenda aimed at reducing hardship and cost of living.
“Under the Renewed Hope Agriculture Mechanisation programme, President Bola Tiinubu commissioned 50 bulldozers, 12 fully equipped mobile workshops, 8000 farming equipment, and 2,000 tractors to be distributed to farmers nationwide for enhanced food production and national food security.
“To ensure the successful implementation of President Tinubu’s directives, the Ministry of Agriculture has set up four key initiatives for mechanisation policy that includes, the John Deere Tractorisation Programme, the Greener Hope Project, the Green Imperative Programme, and the newly launched 2000 tractors procured from Belarus.”
Ikechukwu, who is Chairman of the Governing Council, Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Imo state, said for Nigeria to attain food security, our agricultural sector must be given top priority in a secured environment.
On the challenges posed to farmers by Boko Haram, kidnapping among others, he commended President Tinubu for the attention being given to secure lives, properties and the rural communities where most of the agricultural activities take place.
“It is common knowledge that no nation is without peculiar security challenges and Nigeria is not left out of such bitter experiences. The president is leaving no stone unturned in tackling the myriads of security problems in Benue, Plateau, Kaduna, Borno, Zamfara, and Sokoto states, which are predominantly agricultural hubs for food production in Nigeria,” he added.