Ogun Senator charges FG to prioritise agriculture to guarantee food security
By Jeleel Olawale
Senator Shuaib Afolabi, the Senator Representing Ogun Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, has charged the Federal Government to prioritise agriculture to increase food security across the country.
Salisu gave the charge while speaking at the 2024 National Reunion Conference, at the Oduduwa Hall OAU, on Sunday, in Ile-Ife, by Obafemi Awolowo University Muslim Graduates’ Association (UNIFEMGA).
The Senator who spoke on the topic: “Changing Nigeria’s Consumption Based to a Service and Production Based Economy,” said, worldwide, the economy of any country goes up and down, what needs to be done is how to go about it.
He said that there’s a need to review economic policy with a view to increase our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through agriculture.
“If the federal Government invests heavily in agriculture, there will be food sufficiency in the nation.
“Agriculture as the economic bedrock of a serious nation, would solve the present economic challenge facing the country,” he stated.
“We will attain our food potential as a country and the journey has commenced with president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and the lawmakers are going to provide legislative support to make things better,” he declared.
According to him, Nigeria has the resources to navigate the current economic issues facing the nation.
He said the inability of the previous government to evolve a policy that will take us out of the wound, is one of the reasons why we are where we are today but gradually we are coming out stronger as the country is a work in progress.
The Senator stated further that the palliative given to people recently can only solve the economic challenge temporarily, but there’s a need to dig deep into long term solutions in order to have a prosperous nation.
He emphasised that Nigerians have a government that is presently taking proactive decisions and policies that will solve the long term challenges facing the nation.
He listed underutilisation of resources, structural bottleneck as the bane of the economy, with micro economic instability, fiscal deficit as the consequences of the menace.
Senator Shuaib noted that in order to opt out of consumption based economy and be more focused on production based economy, he said national values and ethos must be revisited, new measure of performance, activation of dormant national assets which are lying fallow should be resuscitated.
“There must be a marriage between the town and the gown, our universities must not only fulfill the mandate of teaching and research but engage the community.
“The outcome of their research works must be felt by the communities. Our universities must be seen as truly citadel of generating ideas that will solve our economic challenges in the country.”
The Chairman, senate committee on ICT and Cyber Security said, critical assets of governments, ease of doing business, infrastructural development must be put in place. There must be a positive attitude and having a plan on where to be in years to come.
He said, he has no doubt as a nation, that one day everything will be normalised. He urged the youth to go into agriculture as an alternative enterprise they can engage in to provide employment and increase food security across the country.
Senator Shuaib urged UNIFEMGA not to rest on its oars in campaigning and contributing to discourse for a just and better society in providing social services for the society through education.
Speaking, President, UNIFEMGA, Engr. Abdul-Fattah Olanlege said, “It has been a rough year for all, as Nigeria’s economy is more sustainable but is clouded with the selfish activities of saboteurs and lavish insensitivity of some of our leaders.
“The effects of removal of fuel subsidy and floating of the naira on the prices of foodstuff, goods and services almost paralysed the nation to the extent that religion worshipers cried out.
“The discourse of this year’s reunion is our contribution to educate the populace on the need to define what really matters to us as a people, look inwards for solutions to our needs and significantly reduce dependency on importation to really strengthen our economy.”
