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The Presidential Candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, yesterday, promised to turn around the Agricultural sector in the country, if voted into power in 2023.

Tinubu, who spoke during a town hall meeting with Farmers and the Northern Agro Commodity Groups, held at Idris Legbo Kutigi Conference Hall, Minna, Niger State, informed that this would be actualised through the provision of modern farm implements at subsidised rates to the farmers across the country.

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The presidential Candidate promised that under his leadership, National Agricultural Commodity Directorate will be established to ensure success of his agricultural policy, aimed at enhancing food security and export.

According to him: “Commodity exchange will begin immediately I become President and every resource to protect the farmers and their produces will be provided. Be assured that you will have the necessary protection in the market and farms. That is why we promise you that commodity exchange will start immediately if you elect me as President of Nigeria. Be assured farmers that the protection is here and the help has arrived. The future is assured. We promise that the resources to protect your farming produce will be made available for you without you asking for it.

“We will stop destroying our export potential to create value. We will work to give you the exportable items that will help you produce in a manner that other people will want to buy your produce and not reject them. We promise you that nothing you produce will be destroyed again. We will mitigate the effect of climate change and flood. I sympathize with all of you affected by flood throughout the country,”

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Various agricultural groups endorsed Asiwaju/Shetimma Presidency expressing their hope that Tinubu would take them out of poverty and improve farming practices across the country.

The National President of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, AFAN, Kabir Ibrahi, while endorsing his candidature, said, “All the farmers in Nigeria have thrown their weight behind the Presidency of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Ksahim Shetimma.

According to him: “We, as farmers, endorse the candidacy of Tinubu. The average farmer in Nigeria should do agriculture as a business, we should go to our farms without fear but we have many factors preventing us from doing what we know how to do best. President Buhari has done his best but we ask this incoming government to do more. We ask that you appoint people who know how to do agriculture in your cabinet and to this end, all the farmers in the country endorse your candidature and we know you will do what you say you will do for us.”

Similarly, President of Myetti Allah, Abdullahi Bodejo called on Tinubu to look into the numerous problems affecting the herders across the country, saying “Our contribution to the economic survival of Nigeria is enormous and we therefore need a solution to insecurity, relief assistance, education, livestock development, federal and state budgetary provisions, national livestock transformation programme and end to ethnic profiling and media bias.”

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Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State, in his welcome address, among others, said “In Niger state, we have reactivated some out of the 19 moribund irrigation schemes in the state as well the rehabilitation of over 300km rural access roads through the implementation of the Rural Access and Mobility Project, RAMP II, programme.

“The state has attracted five International Investors for the production Diary and other associated livestock products and over 1,300 hectares of pasture plots have been fully developed and basic facilities provided towards improving Agriculture in the state.”

The event was attended by the National Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, Director General of the presidential campaign council, Simon Lalong, Kebbi state Governor Atiku Bagudu Vice Presidential Candidate of the Party, Kashim Shettima, Niger State, APC Governorship Candidate, Umar Bago and a host of Party stalwarts.

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(Vanguard)