Chief Hakeem Adeniyi Adelodun, the Vice Chairman of Farmers’ Association in Osun state has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to see investment in agriculture as a major way to diversify the ailing economy of Nigeria as he begins his second term in office.
Chief Adelodun stated this in Osogbo of Thursday, May 30th in a congratulatory message to the President over his inauguration for the second term.
The farmers’ leader opined that the country has a huge resource untapped in the agricultural sector and if government wants to boost the economy of Nigeria, agriculture remains the best alternative to oil.
The statement reads, “On behalf of all farmers in Osun and Nigeria at large, I want to congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari as he starts his second term of another four years in office. We are glad that he has finally commenced the term.
“I wish to tell the President that the era of oil boom has gone as his first term witnessed declined price at the international market. This means, for Nigeria to maintain the largest economy in Africa, a real and pragmatic diversification must happen and the only sector remains agricultural sector.
“The subsistence farmers must be encourages and given soft loans to boost their farming while mechanization must be provided in all 774 local government areas of the country for farming activities.
“Mr President, if these two things are taken care of, the present farmers will be encourages while younger Nigerians who are just leaving tertiary institution will be encourage to come into the farmiong and grow economy together.
The Chief also appealed to the President to find lasting solution to farmer-herder clashes that characterized his first tenure of, adding that the negative effects it had also contributed to loss of billions of naira.
