President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday ordered the Central Bank of Nigeria to stop giving foreign exchange for the importation of food items and fertilizer.
Malam Garba Shehu, one of the President’s spokesmen, in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, said the president gave the order at a meeting of the National Food Security Council at the State House, Abuja.
According to the president, the order has become imperative as the Federal Government rolls out the Economic Sustainability Plan and sets goal for National Food Security.
Buhari restated his earlier verbal directive to the apex bank, saying he would pass it down in writing that ”nobody importing food should be given money.”
While emphasizing the need to boost local agriculture, the president said:
”From only three operating in the country, we have 33 fertilizer blending plants now working.
”We will not pay a kobo of our foreign reserves to import fertilizer. We will empower local producers.”
Also speaking at the meeting, the Comptroller-General of Customs, retired Col. Hameed Ali, expressed the hope of an early reopening of the partially closed borders given the progress made with neighbouring states in joint border patrols – one of the key conditions by Nigeria for reopening of the borders.
The meeting, chaired by the President with other key members of the Council in attendance, was briefed on the food security situation prevailing in the country.
Notably, the Vice Chairman of the council and Governor of Kebbi, Atiku Bagudu, the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari and a Governor from each of the six geo-political zones – Jigawa, Plateau, Taraba, Ebonyi, Lagos and Kebbi, made presentations.
Discussion about this post