Buhari Vows to Revamp Agriculture in N’Delta

President Muhammadu Buhari at the weekend in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, vowed to revamp the economy of the Niger Delta to ensure that in the next few years, agriculture would coexist and compete favourably with proceeds from the export of oil and gas resources.The president who blamed successive governments for missing several opportunities to steer the Nigerian economy away from its sole dependence on oil and place it on a solid footing, pledged that his administration would pursue the diversification of the Nigerian economy with vigour. Buhari who spoke during the Green River Project (GRP) Farmers’ day, jointly organised by the Nigerian Agip Oil Company  (NAOC) and supported by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and Oando Plc, stated that if the current momentum is sustained, Nigeria would be self-sufficient in a couple of years from now. The GRP is dedicated to the celebration of achievements of farmers in Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers and Imo States and according to the organisers, has enabled Agip and its joint venture partners to assist the states in agricultural production towards achieving food sufficiency and economic empowerment. While calling for the support of everyone, the Nigerian leader reiterated that he had already begun plugging the loopholes which led to the degeneration of the economy, noting that with the feedback at his disposal, Nigeria was on the path of recovery. “As well as plug gaps and shortcomings, I am pleased to let you know that the results have started to take shape “There is no doubt that these are difficult times for us as a nation. Having squandered most of the opportunities we had to lay a solid foundation in the past, we have seen our oil-dependent economy slide into recession largely on account of falling oil prices as well as militancy and vandalism of oil infrastructure in the Niger Delta. “But even as these economic difficulties have unfolded over the last two years, we have gone ahead to lay our vision for restoring  the economy and placing it on a diversified footing largely on agriculture and solid minerals. “The result has been heart-warming. The most  recent GDP figures for the second quarter of 2016, rose in two major areas; agriculture and solid minerals,” he said. Source: Thisday