We can feed ourselves, bring food prices down — Tinubu tells Nigerians

By Ayobami Okerinde President Bola Tinubu has expressed confidence that Nigeria can achieve food sufficiency, saying his administration will harness the country’s agricultural potential to reduce food prices. Tinubu spoke on Tuesday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital. He said Nigeria had enough arable land, human resources and commitment to produce sufficient food for its population, pledging increased investment in mechanised farming, irrigation and agricultural research.

“We have the arable land. We have the commitment. We have the people. We can feed ourselves, and we will bring the food prices down to the minimum,” he said. “Our universities will be involved in research and development, more in agriculture than ever before.” Tinubu disclosed that his administration planned to establish six mechanised farming service centres across the country’s six geopolitical zones to improve agricultural productivity.

On the removal of petrol subsidy, Tinubu criticised those calling for its restoration, describing them as liars. He questioned how the government would fund road construction and maintenance, as well as meet other public commitments, if subsidy payments were reinstated. “How will you pay for those commitments, repair the roads and maintain them? How will you function? the labourers, the granite suppliers, and the rock suppliers; they are eating and surviving.” Tinubu also defended the student loan scheme, describing it as a weapon against poverty, and promised to sustain the initiative.

“NELFUND is our weapon against poverty, and we will continue in that direction,” Tinubu added.