By Abiola Olawale
Following the decision of the presidency to once again urge Nigerians to go back to farming in a bid to combat the rising cost of food items, Nigerians have been reacting in mixed ways.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, who made this call while speaking at a meeting with a group of online editors, under the aegis of the Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE) in Abuja said it is a logical thing to do.
In a press statement issued by the ACOE’s Chairman, Mr Martins Odiete, on Saturday, Onanuga said farming is one of the vital tools that can bring Nigeria out of the economic crisis.
According to him, investing in agriculture makes food items surplus which them drive prices down.
He said: “In 1976, former President Olusegun Obasanjo introduced ‘Operation Feed the Nation,’ promoting farming.
“In 1984, when former President Muhammadu Buhari came in, there were shortages of rice, milk, and sugar, and the government had to open warehouses to make these items available to people.
“This is not the first time we are going through this kind of crisis.
“The government is investing in agriculture to make things available and affordable, and as individuals, we also have a role to play,” he said.
Onanuga who also acknowledged that though things were not working as President Bola Tinubu wanted, things will improve in the coming weeks.
He assured that in the next twelve months, Nigerians will begin to see the results of the government’s efforts for the country’s benefit.
He continued: “Though people complain about hardship, I told the BBC that cost of living crises exist globally.
“Maybe what is happening in the world is a cycle, and countries will have to go through certain difficulties.
“We are going through it, but this government is making serious efforts to reduce the hardships faced by our people,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nigerians have begun to react to Onanuga’s statement. Below are some of the reactions curated from social media:
“How can we farm when killer herdsmen have overran our farms so their cows could feed on them?”(@SwitchNigerianNG)
“We should embrace farming while Senators are given N500 million each for constituency projects?
This country will continue moving backwards till we place politicians on minimum wage.”(@Ekwulu)
“Farming is the way forward either we like it or not”(@almond629)
“Farming requires facilities and passionate staffing so where are the facilities that the president has given us not just the state but to the grass root level (Rural area).”(@tamarauebiOk)
“Farming evolved beyond subsistence farming in this era. Most successful countries in agriculture aren’t doing with subsistence but mechanised and subsided farming. The govt should provide security and aids for those that are interested in farming now so others can be motivated.”(@ReformerOluseun)
