Ahmad Rufai Musa's Blog

Agriculture to Replace Oil as Major Revenue Earner, Says Buhari

The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), has said his administration will strive to revive agriculture by taking practical and concrete steps to restore it to its glorious position as the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy.

He said his party would in addition give priority to tackling insecurity, corruption and implementing a comprehensive economic development plan geared towards promoting power supply, infrastructural development, industrialisation and job creation.

Buhari, who spoke at a dinner organised by the Abuja Private Sector Forum at the weekend on  the eve of the presidential debate from  where he opted out,  promised to run an efficient and transparent government and take practical and concrete steps to restore agriculture to its glorious position as the mainstay of our economy.

“We must stop paying lip service to agriculture by taking practical and concrete steps to restore it to its glorious position as the mainstay of our economy providing employment, food for our teeming population as well as leading foreign exchange earning,” he said.

On agricultural policy, Buhari said he will provide farmers with a dignified living through improved inputs, extension services, access to credits and price support mechanisms.

“We would re-vitalise the agricultural sector and make it the engine of growth, and source of job and wealth creation. Some of our policy thrust would include agricultural enterprises value chain and cluster development for commodities, and institutional framework and support for agribusiness investment.  In this regard, the Abuja Commodity Exchange shall be reinvigorated and supported.”

The former Head of State said he would work to maintain integrity and accountability in the affairs of governance if elected into office, adding that the main goal of his aspiration to lead the country is to help arrest economic drift and to promote the unity and development of our country.

“We shall also embark on a national infrastructural development programme that will promote road, air and water transportation in the country to make Nigeria a hub of the West African sub-region.

“We shall decisively bring the Boko Haram insurgency to an end and promote lasting peace and stability in all the nooks and crannies of our nation. We would ensure that the victims of the insurgency are adequately rehabilitated and supported to restore their means of livelihood.

“We shall make accountability and transparency the hallmarks of our administration by ensuring that resources are well utilised through plugging all loopholes and eliminating wastages and corruption in governance. Anti corruption agencies shall be strengthened and given free hand to operate in discharging their statutory mandate,” he said.

“We shall promote sound macro-economic policy environment, run an efficient and transparent government, restore and strengthen financial confidence by putting in place a more robust monitoring, supervision and regulation of all financial institutions,” he said

The candidate also assured that the APC government will work to see that everyone is free to live and work in every part of the country.

He also said the APC government would decisively bring the Boko Haram insurgency to an end and promote lasting peace and stability in all the nooks and crannies of the nation.

Speaking on the current dwindling oil prices that have brought about economic and social predicament, Buhari said his government would embark on multiple reform in the oil and gas sector and also refocus attention on agriculture as an alternative source of revenue.

“We would embark on multiple track reform in the oil and gas sector especially the government institutions like the NNPC, to block revenue transmission leakages and make them more efficient and accountable.”