Provide Land For Grazing – Tinubu Tells Govs
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed state governors to allocate grazing land for pastoralists during.
He highlighted that this provision would effectively resolve the ongoing conflicts between farmers and herders, ultimately preventing the loss of lives and agricultural produce.
Tinubu urged the governors to prioritize wage awards for workers, aiming to alleviate the significant population suffering from hunger and hardship.
These remarks were made during the inauguration of the agricultural mechanization revolution for food security and the unveiling of the renovated domestic terminal at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport in Minna, Niger State.
“You must care for our people, and re-orientate our farming population including the livestock program. I don’t see why Nigeria cannot feed all the pupils in our schools with one pint of milk daily if our dairy system is well harnessed,” Tinubu said.
“I know what it means as economic sabotage for roaming cows to eat up the crops and vegetation of our lands; it could be painful but when we re-orientate the herders and make provision for cattle rearing, the problems will be solved.
“The governors should provide the lands and I, as the president, am committed to giving you a comprehensive program that will solve this problem towards banishing hunger from the land.”
Speaking on the student loan scheme, social security program for the elderly and the vulnerable, and other interventions, the Nigerian leader said all will commence soon as part of efforts by the federal government to relieve Nigerians of hunger.
President Tinubu said the federal government would partner with states to end hunger and hardship, adding that the state governments had the task to do the jobs and work the talks.
“We have seen the level of commitment here, from the state level. We have seen leadership. The success story of any leader will depend on their ability to do what they ought to do at the time it ought to be done,” he said.
The governor of Niger State, Mohammed Umaru Bago, emphasized the significance of agriculture as a crucial measure taken by his administration to tackle the issues faced by vital sectors of the economy and promote prosperity for the people of the state and the nation.
He asserted that the determination of the state would prevent bandits from exerting control over any region, as all uncontrolled areas would be utilized for cultivation.
Furthermore, he highlighted the efforts of his administration in rehabilitating and constructing major roads throughout the state, aiming to facilitate the transportation of agricultural goods to markets.
The Minna airport, named after President Tinubu, has been neglected for the past 13 years. Its runway has failed, its terminal building is in disrepair, and it lacks fire and safety equipment and a runway lighting system.
The domestic terminal, which has been under construction for more than a decade, was abandoned by previous administrations.
President Tinubu was thanked by Bago for approving the airport as a special agro-processing free zone.
The zone consists of 3,000 hectares of land, with 1,000 hectares each dedicated to greenhouses, dairy and meat processing, and agro-processing storage.
To enhance food security, the state will utilize over 3 million hectares of arable land, water bodies, 23 grazing reserves, and 94 forest reserves to improve people’s living conditions.
