The Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdulahi has enjoined Nigerians to invest in agriculture, to contribute to the government’s plan to promote food security. He however declared that about 50 million out of the 80 million hectares of arable land in the country remain uncultivated.
The Minister advised Nigerians when members of the Senate Press Corps went to congratulate the Minister of State for Agriculture and the Minister of Agriculture, Senator Abubakar Kyari Monday in their office.
According to him, out of the 8-point agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration, food security is the most critical because of multifaceted benefits derivable from it, even as he posited that some of the benefits are war against corruption because some people take to corrupt way of life as a result of hunger, just as some others also take to crime as a result of poverty which in itself, can be substantially addressed by food security.
“When you secure their stomachs, the tendency for average Nigerians, to resort to corruption or outright crime and criminalities, would be reduced.
Nigerians need to key into the policy by planting something wherever they live.
The government is also determined to get a substantial part of the uncultivated hectares of land in the country cultivated.
“As it is presently, out of 70 – 80 million hectares of arable land in the country, only 34 million hectares, are cultivated, meaning that there is more than enough uncultivated arable land for government and Nigerians to explore for farming and by extension, ensuring food security in the country,” he said.