Osibanjo Reveals Plans Of Boosting Agriculture With N750bn

The Federal Government had approved the allocation of N750bn to the agricultural sector of the country's economy to boost the production of goods and reduce the prices of goods in the market...... continue reading

This is as the government is reportedly driving towards diversifying the economy, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo who disclosed this during the inauguration of Senior Executive Course (SEC) 39 at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru Plateau state.

Osinbajo,  said the current administration was poised to revamp the agricultural sector through the application of science, technology and innovation, adding that the: “Developing the agricultural sector is a clear starting point of our quest for not only the diversification of our hitherto non cultural economy away from oil, it is also the only economy to grow fast enough to absorb the huge number of people that are unemployed.”

Represented by the deputy governor of Plateau state, Professor Sonny Tyoden, Osinbajo said Nigeria has over 84 hectares of arable land and that only 40 percent is cultivated.

He further said Nigeria has a large internal market because of its population.

He noted that importation of food to meet the shortfall in the country was no longer tenable as the country spent N1.3 billion on this annually.

It was also reported that acting director-general of NIPSS, Jonathan Juma, said in his opening remark;