Vice President Kashim Shettima discloses that in other to ensure food security, President Bola Tinubu is passionate about reducing the price of fertilizer for Nigerian farmers.
Having had a meeting held at the presidential Villa, in Abuja on Tuesday, with stakeholders, Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) and the federal government,
Mr. Shettima has said, “Our goal is to serve the Nigerian people as President Tinubu is very passionate about reducing the cost of fertilizers for the Nigerian public. No strings attached, no vested interest and the president will be happy if the price of fertilizers collapses by 50 per cent after this exercise.”
The Stakeholder at the meeting includes the minister of Agriculture, Abubakar Kyari, and the minister of state for agriculture, ALiyu Sabi Abdullahi.
The meeting focused on the 33,000 metric tonnes of potash donated to the government by Russia’s Uralchem Group and UN partners.
The vice-president stated that Mr Tinubu gives high premium to achieving the agenda of food security in the country.
“This accounts for the declaration of the state of emergency in food security sector by the Tinubu administration in July. We have many challenges with food security. However, we are lucky because President Tinubu is very empathetic and passionate about achieving food sufficiency in the country,” said Mr Shettima.
The vice-president stressed the seriousness attached to the donation and distribution of potash from Uralchem.
“There has to be transparency, equity and fairness in the distribution for the reason that the end beneficiaries are the Nigerian farmers, and their leadership is seated here,” noted Mr Shettima and assured the stakeholders that “there will be transparency. We are going to use our own blenders and the beneficiaries have to be the Nigerian people.”
Mr Shettima said NEMA, World Food Programme (WFP) and AFEX, a commodity exchange firm, have the database and other requirements that will assist the government in reaching out to farmers.
This, according to him, will be carried out in conjunction with the agriculture ministry driving the process.
(NAN)/PEOPLEGAZETTE
