Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development
Minister: 60% of dairy products consumed in Nigeria imported
Nigeria imports at least 60 per cent of dairy products the country consumes, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, has said. Mr Nanono disclosed this when speaking at the National Dairy Policy Stakeholders Engagement in Abuja on Tuesday. He said, “Despite the potentials in the dairy industry, 60 per cent of dairy products consumed in the country is imported while the remaining 40 per cent is produced locally.” The minister said Nigeria’s per capita consumption of milk is 8 litres per year, representing very low consumption levels when compared with the global average of 44 litres of milk, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). According to him, presently, the Nigerian dairy industry is largely subsistence and consists of lo...
President Buhari urges Nigerians to pray for peace, unity
President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerians to continue to pray for peace, unity and stability in the country. The president made the call in an address at the 70th anniversary of the Qaddriyya on Saturday in Kano. Buhari, represented by Alhaji Sabo Nanono, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the call was imperative to foster unity and address security challenges in the country. He enjoined the youth to avail themselves of the opportunities of agriculture and economic empowerment programmes initiated by the Federal Government to learn trades, become self reliant and engage in productive activities. Buhari expressed delight over the conduct of the event and commended the Leader of the Qadiriyya, Sheikh Qaribullah Nasiru-Kabara for his support and constant prayers for the ...
President Buhari approves 5,000mts of maize to support poultry industry
Following hardship faced by poultry farmers, President Muhammadu Buhari, Thursday, approved the release of 5,000 metric tonnes of maize from the National Strategic Grains Reserve, NSGR, to support the Poultry Association of Nigeria, PAN, in order to mitigate the challenge of affordability of feed. This was disclosed in a statement signed by the Director, Information, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Theodore Ogaziechi, where it was also made know that the 5,000 metric tonnes of maize is subsidized at the rate of N90, 000 as against the current market price of N170, 000. The statement reads in part, “President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the release of 5,000 Metric Tonnes of maize from the National Strategic Grains Reserve to support the Poultry Association of Nigeri...
Nigerian government to inject over N600 billion into agriculture for food security – minister
The Federal Government is set to inject over N600 billion as stimulus response into the agriculture sector. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono, made this known in a statement signed by the Director of Information of the ministry, Mr Theodore Ogaziechi, on Sunday in Abuja. The minister according to the statement, made this known while on a tour of Dangote Fertiliser Plant and other fertiliser companies in Lagos State. Nanono said the stimulus package would target small scale farmers, to ensure food security and sustainability. He explained that the package would target farmers nationwide and expected to begin with an initial 2.4 million farmers. He noted that to avoid the abuse of government funds and good intentions, the support would be in form of inputs and no...
Nigeria’s president urges farmers to increase food production
President Muhammadu Buhari has advised Nigerian farmers to increase their food production as Nigeria has ‘no money’ for food importation. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, Nigeria has restricted food importation as the country strived to produce a lot of the food it consumes. The country also shut its borders with neighbouring countries, largely to prevent the importation and smuggling of items such as rice, poultry and petrol. The borders are still shut but were also closed to human traffic following the coronavirus pandemic, although smuggling and other illegal activities still go on with the connivance of corrupt security officials. Buhari gave his advice to the farmers while addressing journalists after observing this year’s ‘Eid’ prayer at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, on Sunda...
NASC: Farmers to access 81,000MT seeds during lockdown
The Director-General of National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), Dr Philip Ojo has said that Nigeria has about 81,000 metric tons of seeds during this COVID-19 lockdown period. Dr Ojo who said this during a Webinar press conference with journalists noted that the seeds would ensure that agricultural activities were not disrupted as a result of the lockdown imposed across the country as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19. He said efforts were being made by the Council and relevant agencies to ensure that seeds reach the farmers in the grassroots amid the COVID-19 lockdown. “The National Agricultural Seeds Council is doing all within reach to ensure that seed sector-related activities are sustained and promoted even in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic for Nigeria to be able to have a c...
