Patience Jonathan flags off distribution of 230,000 fertilizers First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan on Thursday in Abuja flagged off the distribution of over 230,000 fertilizers for local farmers across the country saying the National Fertilizer Policy of the Federal Government had made it an offense to use middlemen in the distribution of fertilizers. She also stated that Nigerian farmers have contributed to the celebrated improvement in the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, as estimated by the National Bureau of Statistics and the World Bank. The event was organized by the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals, Dr. Precious Gbeneol in collaboration with Women for Change and Development Initiative, an NGO of the First Lady, with the aim of further improving on the lives of the people, especially in the rural communities which are considered the food baskets of the country. Gbeneol said, “This exercise will see the delivery of more than 230,000 bags of fertilizers directly to farmers where they are needed most. This intervention is expected to improve farm yields, enhance food security and change the economic landscape of our rural communities. “Beyond support to MDAs, the MDGs Office is implementing an innovative Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme which adopts a multi-faceted approach in its engagement with the issues of hunger and poverty reduction. This Scheme engages low-income households across the states of the Federation with the provision of the sum of N100,000 as seed grant to start up an agricultural enterprise as an exit strategy from the Scheme.” The First Lady said, the National Fertilizer Policy for Nigeria “ensures that fertilizers and seeds are now sold by the companies directly to farmers, through an e-wallet system.” She said, “As the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs and the Cellulant Group executive have earlier said, about 230,000 bags of fertilizers are being distributed across the states of the Federation under this initiative “What you see here is only symbolic as distribution is already being done in phases, using the logistic network of the Cellulant Group that removes middlemen and ensures that these bags of fertilizers reach the intended beneficiaries. “It is a thing of joy that under His Excellency, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, significant improvement has been made in the agricultural sector, particularly fertilizer distribution.” While commending Nigerian farmers for their contributions to the nation’s economic base, she stressed the need to motivate them “for their good work and to encourage them on greater productivity.” She said, “I also consider it an honour to be present here with the very people that matter: those who toil and cultivate our lands, thereby feeding us and also improving our economy. Food is very essential for our growth and development as a nation. A nation is wealthy only if it is able to feed its population well. “This exercise will have great impact and will go a long way in improving the economic base of our rural communities. Farmers make important contributions to our national development. In the face of all the constraints they face, our farmers have stayed on course and have been consistently dutiful in their chosen vocation. “I have been reliably informed that the growth and the ongoing improvement in our economy are mainly driven by the contributions of the agricultural sector. The farmers that you see here today made possible, the widely celebrated improvement in our Gross Domestic Product, as estimated by our National Bureau of Statistics and the World Bank.” The First Lady added that the Food and Agricultural Organization, an agency of the United Nations has also recognized that Nigeria has met the MDGs 1 concerned with the elimination of extreme poverty and hunger ahead of the 2015 deadline.
Posted on: Thu, 02 Oct 2014 18:14:12 +0000
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