Nigeria determined to stop importation of food

Namadi Sambo
Nigeria's Vice President

Nigeria determined to stop importation of food
Lawan Hamidu, Abuja

The Nigerian Government has resolved to stop the importation of food items into the country and plans to fully harness available potentials in agriculture to ensure massive production of food that would feed the whole country and possibly the entire region.

Vice President, Namadi Sambo, while receiving the Chairman and President of the United States Export Import Bank (US EXIM Bank), Mr. Fred Hochberg in his office, also expressed delight with the audience that the bank gave to Nigeria’s Economic Management Implementation Team and some key Ministers.

He said government was working to develop the agriculture sector to meet international standards.

“The Federal Government is now working towards making agriculture a business not as it is currently obtained’. He said, ‘agriculture currently is just to produce enough food for the people to consume but that the whole value chains right from the production to consumption is important.” He said.

National grid

He acknowledged the need to increase annual crop yields and expressed the country’s resolve to increase this to meet international demands.

Expressing his appreciation for the support and confidence the US EXIM bank has in Nigeria anf the efforts to realise the Transformation Agenda, the Vice President added that the Federal Government was desirerous to gain from the experience and capacity obtainable in the US, in the value chain especially the processing aspect of agriculture.

He said that,”part of our agenda is that we will like to develop small, medium and large hydro power complexes that would create economic corridors and that 85% of the Country’s GDP came from the Agric sector. We hope to ensure that we achieve the objectives of the US EXIM bank so that a well-established Public-Private Partnership package would enable the private sector obtain the special vehicle from the bank.”

On-going power projects in the country were intended to boost the capacity of major dams like the Mambilla, which is expected to generate about 2600mw, while that of Zungeru Hydro-Power Plant was designed to produce about 700mw and the Gurara Phase 11, was to inject about 360mw into the national grid once completed.

Degree of transparency

Nigeria’s Ambassador to the USA, Mr. Ade Adefuye in his remark pointed out that the US EXIM bank has been with Nigeria in its transformation drive.

Mr Adefuye said the bank identified with the country’s economic aspirations to creatie a stable and progressive Nigeria.

Earlier, Mr. Fred Hochberg expressed appreciation at the reception accorded him and his teamb.

He stated that out of nine countries, the bank’s focus on Nigeria in Sub-Saharan Africa was being accorded priority due to the degree of transparency and the Jonathan/Sambo administration and its focused on security.

Uche Iheanacho/Hajia Sani