By Chesa Chesa
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Saturday launched the Yobe State Agricultural Empowerment Programme in Damaturu, the state capital as part of efforts to ensure food security and stimulate economic growth in Nigeria.
The initiative, which includes the provision of agricultural machinery and implements, is part of a broader national strategy to revolutionise Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
Speaking during the launch, Tinubu who was represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, said the programme is at the heart of his administration’s ongoing efforts to enhance food security, create jobs, and diversify Nigeria’s economy through agriculture.
The President stressed the critical role of agriculture in national development and security, saying “food is the heart of security in every society.
“It is the foundation upon which we build our health, our well-being, and our economic stability. There’s no way we are going to achieve our grand goals as a government, whether at the state or national level, until we support and empower our farmers.”
Apart from boosting agricultural output, the initiative also aims to engage more Nigerians in the nation’s economic life, said the President as he reaffirmed government’s commitment to modernising the agricultural sector, including the livestock industry.
The President said the recently approved Ministry of Livestock Development is intended “to improve livestock production in the country and to change the destiny and narratives of our livestock production.”
Addressing the shift towards modern farming techniques, the President said, “Each of us in this gathering must come to terms with the fact that the era of relying on rain-fed agriculture is gone. These machines are here to ease our practice of irrigation farming.”
The launch of the agric empowerment programme also saw President Tinubu approving Yobe State’s request for additional resources to support its agricultural ambitions.
These include “mini-rigs for tube wells, solar water pumps, agro-chemicals, power tillers, more fertilisers, and other farm implements to complement your irrigation scheme.”
President Tinubu also addressed security concerns, assuring the audience that the government is “taking drastic measures to address the security challenges to make farmlands safe and accessible in every state of the federation.”
