Buhari: Nigeria Has become Africa’s Fertiliser Powerhouse Due To Our Policy

President Muhammadu Buhari says Nigeria’s rising prominence as Africa’s fertiliser powerhouse is due to the implementation of the right policies.

According to a statement by Femi Adesina, presidential spokesperson, Buhari spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at an audience with the executive committee of the Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN).

Buhari said this achievement, in a very short time, had ensured a steady flow of investments to the sector from the private sector; bringing prosperity to millions of Nigerians and good returns to the investors.

While commending FEPSAN for partnering with the government in the backward integration project of enhancing the agricultural value chain, he also expressed delight that the era of the persistent shortage of fertiliser in the country was now a thing of the past.Advertisement

‘‘When this administration came to office in 2015, our focus was on three key areas; Security, Economy and tackling corruption,” the statement quoted Buhari as saying.

‘‘For every nation to have peace and prosperity, its economy must be inclusive.

‘‘For Nigeria, a predominantly agrarian nation, having an inclusive economy meant we needed to prioritise the enhancement of our agricultural value chain.Advertisement

‘‘We quickly identified the persistent shortage of fertiliser as a key reason for the low yields experienced on our farms.

‘‘This historical scarcity of fertiliser was due to our over-reliance on imports and the inefficient participation of the government in distributing this essential commodity to the farmers.

‘‘As a government, it was very clear to us that these practices needed to change. Nigeria is naturally blessed with most of the raw materials needed to produce fertilisers.

‘‘Nigeria has all the skills and manpower required to convert these raw materials to fertilisers.