By George George Idowu and Faridat Salifu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that his administration is determined to cultivate 10 million hectares of land to boost food production in the country.
The President announced six-month suspension of taxes and tariffs on imported grains to facilitate the initiative.
Tinubu equally assured Nigerians that mechanized farming equipment, which include tractors and planters worth billions of Naira, had been ordered from the United States, Belarus, and Brazil and would soon arrive in Nigeria.
The president announced these on Sunday during his presidential broadcast to address the nation as the #Endbadgovernance protest rocks major parts of the country.
In the early morning broadcast, Tinubu said his administration, in collaboration with state governors and key ministers, is committed to boosting food production in Nigeria.
He said, “We have distributed fertilizers and our target is to cultivate more than 10 million hectares of land to grow what we eat.
“ The federal government will provide all necessary incentives for this initiative, whilst the states provide the land, which will put millions of our people to work and further increase food production.
“In the past few months, we have also ordered mechanized farming equipment such as tractors and planters. I can confirm to you that the equipment is on the way,” he emphasized.
President Tinubu assured that mechanized farming equipment, including tractors and planters worth billions of Naira, had been ordered from the United States, Belarus, and Brazil and would soon arrive in Nigeria.
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Mean, in the housing sector, Tinubu outlined his administration’s plans to launch the Renewed Hope Estates in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He said each state will see the construction of 500 housing units, aiming to complete a total of 100,000 units over the next three years. “Six months ago in Karsana, Abuja, I inaugurated the first phase of our ambitious housing initiative, the Renewed Hope City and Estate.
This project is the first of six planned across the nation’s geopolitical zones, each including a minimum of 1,000 housing units, with Karsana itself set to deliver 3,212 units,” he explained.
Tinubu also touched his administration’s strategic shift towards natural gas as a primary fuel source aims to improve the economic landscape but also repositions Nigeria to better harness its vast natural resources for sustainable growth.
He said the previous dependence on petrol has not only drained foreign reserves through subsidies but has also stifled the nation’s economic potential.
To remedy this issue, he noted that his government embarked on the launch of the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Initiative aimed at transforming Nigeria’s transportation sector.
This initiative is set to significantly lower costs associated with imported petrol and diesel, with an anticipated monthly savings of over two trillion Naira, he emphasized.
“ The government plans to distribute one million affordable conversion kits to commercial vehicle operators, who currently consume 80% of the imported petrol and diesel.
“ With ongoing partnerships with the private sector, conversion centres are being established nationwide to facilitate this transition,” he said.
President Tinubu, however, expressed confidence that the CNG initiative will reduce transportation costs by approximately 60%, ultimately helping to curb inflation.
