Agriculture will revive Nigeria’s economy -Ogbeh

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Audu Ogbeh, has said that massive investment in the agricultural sector by the private sector, state and federal government will be the only solution to the down turn in the Nigeria economy as oil prices continue to drop.

The Minister who was in Kano for the 41st National Council of Agriculture meeting said like in the 60s and early 70s agriculture can still become the mainstay of the nation’s economy with the right investment, especially in the face of dwindling oil revenue which has seen prices per barrel drop from $63 dollars last year to $29 dollars this year.

“We thank God we are broke now, when there was too much money from oil ,we could not think, now there is no money from oil, we have now come down to reality and the reality is agric, agric and agric, maybe later we can think of solid minerals.”.

“Agriculture and its value chain create wealth, employment, food security and reduce poverty and that is the right way to go now,”stressed Ogbe

He said high dependence on importation of consumables in Nigeria, especially food items is bad for the economy.

He said that the nation has enough human and natural resources to feed itself and export to other countries and earn foreign exchange like oil. The Minister mentioned that, they are foreign demands for our agricultural products and this will improve our foreign exchange.