COV//USMAN MZ, JIGAWA
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed says the Anchor Borrowers Programme and the Presidential Fertilizer initiative are revolutionising agriculture in Nigeria.
The Minister made the remark in Birnin Kudu, Jigawa State when he led a Federal Government delegation on an inspection of Malam Alu Agro Allied Company Limited, which also hosts the tallest national flag pole in Nigeria and the second in Africa at 50 metres high.
He said the Anchor borrowers programme, which was launched by the federal government, through the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2015 to boost the nation’s agricultural sector had now catalysed the production of such crops like rice, maize, wheat and tomato, among others.
Lai Mohammed explained that the programme had also boosted local production as well as conserved the nation’s foreign exchange through a reduction in importation.
According to him, the Presidential Fertilizer Initiative which is aimed at stimulating local production of NPK through reviving moribund fertilizer plants and the local blending industry, will make fertilizer available to Nigerian farmers at affordable prices while saving $200 million foreign exchange and N60 billion in budgetary provision for fertilizer subsidy, and creating thousands of jobs in the process.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed commended the foresight of Governor Badaru Abubakar for keying into the initiatives, thus attracting private investments like the Malam Alu Agro Allied Company Limited to the state.
He, therefore, said that with these and the ingenious programmes of the state government, jigawa was a shining example of the success of the Federal Government Agricultural revolution.
“Today’s visit is a double-barrelled one, aimed at showcasing successes in agriculture as well as in tourism. Malam Farouk has, as they say, used one stone to kill two birds. Not only is he showcasing success in agriculture, he is also helping to make Jigawa a choice destination for tourists by erecting the tallest Nigerian flag pole in the country.This is good thinking for which I commend him,” the minister added.
In a remark, the Chairman of Malam Alu Agro Allied Company Limited, Alhaji Faruk Aliyu, said his decision to erect the second tallest national flag on the African Continent was to solidify the nation’s unity and inspire
patriotism among Nigerians.
“This is all in furtherance to uniting the country and making our people believe in our country,” he said.
The Minister was accompanied by the Directors-General of the National Orientation Agency NAO, Dr. Garba Abari; Nigerian Television Authority NTA, Mallam Yakubu Ibn Mohammed; DG Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Dr. Mansur Liman, Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation,
Mr. Folarin Coker and the National Commission for Museum and Monuments, Professor Abba Isa Tijani.