Prior to the discovery of oil, the main attraction of Nigeria as a colony was its vast land, prospective mineral resources and a diverse population.
With the discovery of oil and the income from it the seeming prosperity changed the perception of our leaders such that Agriculture which used to be the mainstay of the economy took a back seat.
Policy inconsistency, misapplication of the oil resources, corruption and outright neglect are responsible for the current poverty and food insufficiency. Beginning 1999, however, President Olusegun Obasanjo began to change the policy direction towards the restoration of the dignity of Agriculture.
The late President Umar Musa Yar’adua and his successor President Goodluck Ebere Jonathan continued the effort through the Agricultural Transformation Agenda culminating in President Muhammadu Buhari’s Agricultural Promotion Policy(APP).
The attention given to the Agricultural sector by this administration is commendable and promising.
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As we continue to consistently pursue the promotion of Agriculture we will attain food sufficiency and ultimately the desired food security to propel the country into the club of first World economies like Singapore. While we congratulate Nigeria for its 60 years of Independence from colonial rule we pray for it to work tirelessly to attain food security in the next couple of years.
We firmly believe that this is doable by completely overhauling the management of the food system through innovation and if need be disruptive innovation.
Ibrahim is national president, All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN).
