Farming key to sustainable growth – Minister

The Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Aliyu Sabi has advocated more attention to agriculture and a commitment from Nigerians as a way of sustaining growth.

He said there is more than enough uncultivated land for Nigerians to go into farming, saying there are about 50 million hectares of uncultivated arable lands.

Senator Sabi, therefore, urged all Nigerians to develop a culture of planting crops on every available soil, as a strategy towards ensuring food security in the country.

He stated this in Abuja on Monday while speaking to journalists covering the Senate. He also said the present administration was ready to give every support to Nigerians to excel.

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Senator Sabi said that out of the eight-point agenda of President Bola Tinubu-led administration, food security remains the most critical because of the multifaceted benefits that could be realised from the policy.

“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 a 34million 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.