Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Dr Mariya Mahmoud, has kicked off the distribution of approximately 900 metric tonnes of 30 trucks of assorted fertilizer to farmers in the territory.
Mahmoud said yesterday at the flag-off ceremony in Abuja that the assorted fertilizer was donated by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMA&FS) to the FCT administration for onward distribution to farmers.
The minister said the effort was a manifestation of the visionary leadership of President Bola Tinubu’s strategic response to address the challenge of food shortage.
While acknowledging the challenges faced by the populace regarding the high cost of food items, she expressed the commitment of the administration to proactively implement measures to address the situation.
“As you may recall, within the past two months, we have undertaken several initiatives to enhance food production. In collaboration with the World Bank and Islamic Development Bank, we achieved a significant milestone by providing farmers a comprehensive range of agricultural inputs.
“Building on this success, we also successfully distributed the palliatives approved by Mr President, bringing the much-needed relief and succour to the residents of the FCT,” she said.
The minister assured that the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat had fully adhered to the distribution guidelines outlined by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which includes the setting up of a broad-based ad-hoc committee to strategise and come up with distribution plans that would ensure the fertilizer reaches the intended beneficiaries.
She thanked partners for their support in training agricultural extension agents and farmers, stressing that the administration was committed to sustaining this synergy and continuing the effort to empower agricultural stakeholders with the knowledge and skills necessary for success.
The minister called on FCT residents, particularly the youth population, to take advantage of the vast arable land in the territory and invest in agriculture, no matter how small.
Mandate Secretary, Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat, Hon. Lawan Kolo Geidam, said the donation from the CBN was an apt and timely response to mitigate the adverse impact of the current global food crisis, exacerbated by climate change, low production, and high prices on Nigerians.
