Kashim Shettima, Nigeria’s Vice President, expressed that President Bola Tinubu holds a deep commitment to lowering fertilizer costs for Nigerian farmers, with the overarching goal of enhancing food security in the nation.
Shettima conveyed this sentiment during a stakeholders’ meeting between the Fertilizers Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) and the Nigerian Government, held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday.
The meeting considered how to utilize the 33,000 metric tonnes of Potash donated to Nigeria by Russia’s Uralchem Group and UN Partners.
According to the Vice President, “Our goal is to serve the Nigerian people. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is very passionate about reducing the cost of fertilizers for the Nigerian public.”
He emphasized that “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.”
High Premium
Vice President Shettima disclosed that President Bola Tinubu gives high priority to achieving the agenda of food security in the country, noting that this accounts for the declaration of a state of emergency in the food security sector by the Tinubu administration last July.
Stressing that though “We have many challenges with food security in the country, we are however very lucky because the President is very empathetic and very passionate about achieving food sufficiency in the country.”
Speaking to Stakeholders at the meeting which includes the Minister of Agriculture, Sen. Abubakar Kyari and Minister of State for Agriculture, Sen. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, the Vice President expressed the seriousness attached to the donation and distribution of the potash from Uralchem Group.
He charged stakeholders that “there has to be transparency, equity and fairness in the distribution exercise for the reason that the end beneficiaries are the Nigerian farmers and their leadership is seated here.”
Data Base
During the entire exercise, Vice President Shettima disclosed further that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA,) World Food Programme (WFP) and Associated Foreign Exchange (AFEX,) a commodity Exchange firm have the database and other requirements that will assist the Government in reaching out to the farmers in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in driving the process.
It would be recalled that at the last Russia-Africa Summit held in St. Petersburg Russia last July, the Federal Government delegation met with the leadership of Uralchem Group and WFP over the donation of a consignment of 33,000 metric tonnes of potash.
In attendance at the Stakeholders’ meeting were the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Ernest Umakhihe; Director General, National Emergency Management Agency, Mustapha Ahmed; President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Arc. Kabir Ibrahim; President, Fertilisers Producers And Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), Sadiq Kassim; the Country Director of World Food Programme, Kucro Jawed and representatives of National Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and Associated Foreign Exchange (AFEX).
