FG seeks governors’ support on food production initiatives

Worried by the slow progress being made in the nation’s food security agenda, the Executive Director, Corporate and Commercial Services, Bank of Industry, (BoI) Jonathan Tobin, has advocated a buy-in of state governors in replicating successful pilot schemes in their states.

Specifically, Tobin noted that the nation’s capacity for food production is being under-utilised considering available resources and support from Federal Government.

Tobin, during a media parley in Lagos, recently, added that most of the imported food items being consumed in the country are not suitable for human consumption, as they have been kept in silos and stores for several years before being sent to Nigeria.

Speaking on Federal Government’s directive to extend the Anchor Borrowers’ programme in rice production to 14 other states in the country as part of efforts to ensure self-sufficiency in food production in Nigeria, Tobin said such initiatives would see the nation bridging the gap in food production if supported by state governors.

Already, Tobin stated the readiness of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to finance the cultivation of wheat during the next season to further aid food production.

Tobin noted that with the success of the Anchor Borrowers Programme in Kebbi State, an initiative launched by the Federal Government in November 2015 to link smallholder farmers to the integrated rice scheme and to boost local production of rice, the federal government has approved a replication across 14 other states.

Tobin said that the president had approved that all the states in the North, including Benue, Cross River, Anambra and Ebonyi states, commence a fresh Anchor Borrowers’ programme in rice production, adding that the apex bank to ensure that the programme is given all necessary support to drive its success is packaging fresh funds.

He explained that the CBN supported food production initiative to increase local production of rice and wheat in the country in line with the Federal Government’s resolve to diversify the economy through agriculture. And reduce pressure on the nation’s foreign reserves.

He added that the key objective of the programme is to quickly address concerns of staple food items that government has already identified so as to reduce the country’s import base and also to make rice available for Nigerians.

Tobin said that the apex bank is critically looking at rice, wheat, fish and other food items that are taking toll on the country’s foreign reserve.