We Closed Borders for Two Years to Protect Farmers, Says Buhari
PMB
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday disclosed that the closure of the nation’s borders for two years was mainly to protect Nigerian farmers.
Buhari who spoke when he received the President of Africa Development Bank, AfDB, Dr Akinwumi Adesina in Abuja, explained that so far so much has been achieved for closing the borders.
Adesina had told the President that his Bank has already set aside $1.5 billion Africa Emergency Food Plan to take care of the effect of the ongoing Russia/Ukraine war which could lead to global food shortage.
Buhari who was excited about this development commended the AfDB boss for planning ahead.
Buhari said, “Thank you for knowing our weaknesses and our strengths, and for planning and working ahead. We are very much aware of the need for food security, and to encourage our local farmers, that was why we closed our borders for about two years to curb smuggling. We made some progress”
The AfDB boss pointed out that there could be fertilizer crisis in Africa that may lead to deficit of about two million metric tons, adding that the prices of wheat have gone up.
He said , “the price of wheat has gone up to about 60 per cent. Maize and other grains will also be affected. There may be fertilizer crisis, as there would be about two million metric tons deficit. And that will affect food production by about 20 per cent. Africa will lose $11 billion worth of food, and coming shortly after COVID-19, that would be rather serious.
”To prepare against the evil day, the AfDB had developed a $1.5 billion Africa Emergency Food Plan, which is now before the bank’s Board for approval.”
“We were not ready for COVID-19, but we are now planning to avert food crisis on the continent. There is plan to help farmers cultivate wheat, maize, rice, sorghum, and soybeans. It will mitigate the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war.”
Buhari who spoke when he received the President of Africa Development Bank, AfDB, Dr Akinwumi Adesina in Abuja, explained that so far so much has been achieved for closing the borders.
Adesina had told the President that his Bank has already set aside $1.5 billion Africa Emergency Food Plan to take care of the effect of the ongoing Russia/Ukraine war which could lead to global food shortage.
Buhari who was excited about this development commended the AfDB boss for planning ahead.
Buhari said, “Thank you for knowing our weaknesses and our strengths, and for planning and working ahead. We are very much aware of the need for food security, and to encourage our local farmers, that was why we closed our borders for about two years to curb smuggling. We made some progress”
The AfDB boss pointed out that there could be fertilizer crisis in Africa that may lead to deficit of about two million metric tons, adding that the prices of wheat have gone up.
He said , “the price of wheat has gone up to about 60 per cent. Maize and other grains will also be affected. There may be fertilizer crisis, as there would be about two million metric tons deficit. And that will affect food production by about 20 per cent. Africa will lose $11 billion worth of food, and coming shortly after COVID-19, that would be rather serious.
”To prepare against the evil day, the AfDB had developed a $1.5 billion Africa Emergency Food Plan, which is now before the bank’s Board for approval.”
“We were not ready for COVID-19, but we are now planning to avert food crisis on the continent. There is plan to help farmers cultivate wheat, maize, rice, sorghum, and soybeans. It will mitigate the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war.”
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