In his speech marking Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assessed the performance of state governors regarding agricultural initiatives and scored the South East governors poorly, emphasizing their lack of engagement in agricultural development.
While recounting the achievements of his administration in tackling hunger and improving the nation’s food security over the past 16 months, President Tinubu praised governors from Kebbi, Niger, Jigawa, Kwara, Nasarawa, and the South West states for their efforts in embracing federal agricultural programs. However, the five South East governors were notably absent from his commendations, as they had not taken significant steps to align with the federal government’s agricultural production initiatives.
In his address, President Tinubu stated: “I commend the governors of Kebbi, Niger, Jigawa, Kwara, Nasarawa, and the South West for embracing our agricultural production program. I urge other states to join the Federal Government in investing in mechanized farming.”
Highlighting federal support, Tinubu continued: “We are doing our part by providing fertilizer and making tractors and other farm equipment accessible. Recently, the Federal Executive Council approved the establishment of a local assembly plant for 2,000 John Deere tractors, along with combine harvesters and other essential farm machinery, with a completion timeframe of six months.”
Additionally, the President outlined initiatives beyond agriculture, such as the energy transition program and the expansion of the Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for public transportation. He also indicated that the federal government is prepared to assist all states and the Federal Capital Territory in acquiring CNG buses to provide affordable mass transit options.
