Nigeria Governor’s Forum (NGF) has declared that the country boasts some of the most affordable foods in West Africa, as disclosed by NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor.
NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahaman AbdulRazak, along with colleagues Agbu Kefas (Taraba), Ahmed Ododo (Kogi), and Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), conveyed this message during a visit to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security in Abuja.
AbdulRazak pointed out that neighboring countries rely on Nigeria’s food products, particularly Soya beans, for trade, contributing to their foreign exchange earnings.
Expressing regret over the limited success of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Anchor Borrowers Programme, AbdulRazak stressed the need to enhance production and increase yield per hectare to ensure Nigeria can not only meet its own food needs but also feed West Africa.
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AbdulRazak stated, “We have noted that food in Nigeria is the cheapest in West Africa and our neighbours are using our food to trade. They are taking our soya beans and others to get foreign exchange.
“We need to ramp up production and increase yield so we can feed west Africa, ourselves and export food.
“We could not achieve much with CBN Anchor Borrowers programme it was challenging. Food security is a one stop shop and we need to concentrate on what we are on for dry season farming.”
During the meeting, the governors were informed by officials, including Kyari, that the objective is to boost year-round production to drive down food inflation, create employment opportunities, reduce poverty, stimulate growth, and foster inclusivity.