Skip to main content

‘Nigeria spends $11bn yearly on food importation’

Sesan Olufowobi
The Lagos State Government says Nigeria spends $11bn (N3.1tn) annually to import wheat, rice, sugar and fish.
The government stated this on Wednesday at a capacity building workshop for heads of agriculture department in the 57 local government and local council development areas of the state in Ikeja.
 At the event, organised by the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Olayiwole Onasanya, said Nigeria’s importation rate was worrisome.
Quoting from a Central Bank of Nigeria report, Onasanya said, “Over $11bn was spent to import four consumable commodities–rice, wheat, fish and sugar– annually. Nigeria’s food import is growing at an unsustainable rate of 11 per cent per annum.”
He said relying on importation of expensive food from global markets fuelled domestic inflation, adding that excessive imports had put pressure on the naira and hurt the economy.
Onasanya said, “The Lagos State Government has, however, taken the bull by the horns to boost food production at the grass roots. We are organising capacity building for LG workers to increase farm size and productivity.”
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Jafar Sanuth, observed that involvement of departments of agriculture at the LG level in food production had been minimal.
The Director, Community Agriculture, Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, Dapo Olakulehin, said the aim of the workshop was to bring about diversification of the agricultural sector.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nollywood actress, Omoge Campus, is dead

Aisha Abimbola, a.k.a Omoge Campus Nollywood actress, Aisha Abimbola, popularly known as Omoge Campus, has died. She reportedly died in a Canadian hospital. The cause of death was still speculative as at he time of filing this report. Her colleague, Bisola Badmus, broke the news of her death on her Instagram page; while ace actor, Saheed Balogun, also confirmed it to our correspondent on the phone on Wednesday morning. See Bisola Badmus’ IG post announcing the death: Other colleagues of the deceased like Ronke Odusanya, Biodun Okeowo, and Odunlade Adekola, have expressed shock over the loss of their colleague. See their posts below: Abimbola who studied Catering and Hotel Management at the Lagos State Polytechnic first featured in TV series, Papa Ajasco. She came into limelight on the back of a Bola Igida movie, Omoge Campus. The title of the movie stuck to her and became her stage name. The movie was produced in 2001. She produced her own m...
Post a Comment
Read more

Arepo: IG deploys policemen, helicopter to flush out vandals

Adelani Adepegba The acting Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has deployed the Tactical Operation Unit, comprising of the Police Mobile Force, the Counter-Terrorism Unit and the Air Surveillance Team to flush out vandals and other criminal elements operating in Arepo and Ibafo areas of Ogun State. Idris said the deployment of the unit in the areas on Thursday was to ensure that normalcy returns to them in record time. A statement on Friday in Abuja by the Force Public Relations Officer, Don Awunah, quoted the IG as saying that the Nigeria Police Force would not watch any criminal group(s) take law into their hands, adding that he had authorised the team to deal decisively with anyone who constitutes himself as an enemy of the state. He also asked residents of the areas who had fled to return home and go about their normal businesses as the police would deal with the criminals. In another development, the police have arrested one Aloysius Ebiniko, said to be the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Gunmen kill four in Kaduna village attack

Gunmen Godwin Isenyo, Kadu na Unknown gunmen on Monday evening  invaded   Gurguzu village, near  Maguzawa, an outskirts of  Rigasa in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State,  killing four persons while many persons sustained varying degrees of injuries. An eyewitness put the number of those injured at six while another source said the figure was higher than six. The incident, it was learnt, took place some minutes after 6pm on Monday, when unknown gunmen rode on bikes invaded  a farm in the village and shot the farmers. Four died on the spot. Our correspondent also gathered that the injured victims were rushed to an undisclosed hospital for medical treatment. Presently, it was gathered that more than 500 people from Gurguzu village were displaced and taking refuge at a primary school in Rigasa. Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Government has sued for peace, urging residents to remain calm and go about their lawful businesses. It said i...
Post a Comment
Read more