Emulate Kano’s agric exploits – Ogbeh

Chief Audu Ogbeh

 The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, has called on state governors in the country to emulate Kano State’s exploits in boosting agriculture and food security as well as providing jobs for its citizens.

Speaking in Kano during his tour of agricultural projects in the state, the minister said it is imperative that Nigeria feeds her citizens and even other countries. “There is a request for 37,000 metric tons of maize at N4.2 billion by Namibia. Food business is now the biggest in Nigeria. It is time for the farmers to be legitimately rich,” he said.

Accompanied by Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Ogbeh commissioned 1,000 boreholes across 24 local government areas of Kano State, as part of initiatives by the state to encourage farmers to produce more wheat under its commercial agriculture programme.

“I am personally excited by what I have seen here. I think the revolution in agriculture has started, and I am looking forward for the day when Nigeria will begin selling wheat and not importing wheat,” he said.

Governor Ganduje said his administration was determined to ensure farming took place all year round, pointing out that this prompted the government to drill 1,000 boreholes under a programme tagged “Drive Away Dry Season”.

“The state’s agricultural policy provide necessary impetus aimed at facilitating increased agricultural output and employment generation to the teeming populace under the newly introduced concept of developing commercial agriculture”, the governor said.