I Can Help The FG Address Hunger And Generate N15 Trillion In Agricultural Revenue Within 2 Years – Liman
In the wake of the current nationwide hunger protests by the Nigerian youths tagged #EndBadGovernance triggered by economic hardship in the country, large scale rice farmer and business man, Muhammad Abba Liman, has proffered solution, saying they are ready to assist the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration with “strategic achievable steps towards ensuring national food sufficiency and security within the next two years.”
He also said the Nigerian government can generate N10 trillion to N15 trillion revenue from agriculture and its numerous value chains through the plan.
Liman, an executive member of Rice Processors Association of Nigeria (RIPAN), said this while fielding questions from newsmen in Abuja at the weekend.
Recommending the way out of food crisis in the country, Liman said that “there is a need for the federal government to set up a new Presidential Initiative on National Food Security made up of trusted and experienced bureaucrats, patriots, farmers and reliable nationalists with unquestionable capacity and character” to deliver on food sufficiency target for the country.
If he is opportune to head such a body, he said, “I can tell you that within the next two years, hunger and food insecurity that trigger civil unrest and revolt in the country will become a thing of the past.
“Part of the strategy will include mobilisation of all academics, workers and students of all agricultural tertiary institutions, departments, research institutes in the country.
“The plan also includes bringing in all the specialised agricultural organisations, large scale farmers in all the agriculture sub-sectors such as rice, cassava, grains, tubers; all the major agro-allied industries as well as all major agriculture marketing outlets in the country.
“We will engage critical stakeholders, especially all the 774 local government areas in Nigeria who are the grassroots administrators, acquire vast land, provide loans and incentives, create irrigation facilities to genuine farmers and not politicians for all-season farming, secure the farms with adequate security personnel.
“At the end of the day, more than five million citizens will be empowered and funded to engage in productive and quality agriculture and its multitrillion naira value chains thereby creating more than 10 million jobs.
“Within two years, we will produce, not only what is sufficient for local consumption but also export food to other African countries and the rest of the world.
“At such a time we are in is when Nigerians should quit blame game, come together, give full support to the Tinubu administration because I believe in his genuine intention towards reviving and building a better and stronger economy for Nigeria.
“Until we do this, hunger and hungry citizens will continue to express their desperation and anger in the streets thereby threatening our national peace and security the way we are currently witnessing”, he said…….See_More