Jigawa state youth group under the agies of Unified Northern Forum has described Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria Dr Godwin Emefiele as a champion of agricultural development while urged him to contest for Nigerian presidential election in 2023 for more prosperity and united Nigeria.
The chairman of the Forum Jigawa state chapter, Abdullahi Abbas made the call during a press briefing in Dutse.
He said Jigawa state was an agrarian state with over 70 per cent of its population engaged in farming as their source of livelihood.
He pointed out that, under Emefiele the country’s agricultural sector had received several interventions which boosted productivity and generate jobs in the state and the country in general.
Abdullahi Abass further explained that, thousands of Jigawa state farmers have moved from subsistence framing to commercial framing as a result of anchor borrowers program and other agricultural interventions they accessed from the Central Bank.
He said, in 2017, the State Government accessed N5 billion loan from CBN to finance its agricultural development.
According to him, in 2021 CBN disbursed over N4 billion as loans to rice farmers which Jigawa State is also among the 15 states that benefited from 52 billion Wheat Cultivation grant and over 25,000 ‘unbanked’ women and youths enrolled into banking system which made financial service accessible to them.
“We believe Dr Godwin Emefiele has all it takes to make Nigeria a great nation, rejuvenate our economy and take us to the status of developing nation where peace, progress and prosperity will be realised”~ Abdullahi said.
In a speech, the chief Convener Unified Northern Nigeria Youth Forum, Mohammed Salihu Danlami said, the policy introduced by The CBN governor was largely best described as shifting the Nigerian economy from an oil economy to a more diversified economy with agriculture, mining and industries as the main drivers.
“We are optimistic that, if he became the president of Nigeria he will do more on this policy and Nigeria will certainly attain developed Nation status”
Mohammed Salihu Dallami therefore called on Notherners and Nigerians to join the call for Emifele to contest the presidential election for peace unity and development of the nation.
In a keynote address at the occasion the spokesperson of the Forum comrade Aliyu Muhammad Sani said Nigeria was currently needing a strongman, patriotic, pragmatic who already had a blueprint that can guide him to work round the clock to move the nation forward through peace, progress and prosperity.
He added that Nigerians should look into the 37 interventions initiated by Dr Godwin Emefiele, and would realize all the required qualities and track records for one to become the next Nigerian President.
USMAN MZ