The presidency has urged Nigerians to return to forms of subsistence farming to help tackle the rising cost of food in the country
The presidency has called on Nigerians to embrace subsistence farming to reduce the challenge of rising food costs in the country.
The call was made at a meeting in Abuja when the special adviser to the president on information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, met with a group of online editors under the aegis of the Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE) in Abuja on Saturday.
In a statement made available to the press after the meeting, Mr. Onanuga is quoted saying:
“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 acknowledged that the economy was moving at a slow pace but assured that Nigerians will begin to see positive change in the next twelve months.
“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.
Onanuga assured the association of robust relationship towards dissemination of news in line with global best practices.
“By working together, we can ensure that the information reaching the public serves the greater good of society,” he said.
