President Bola Tinubu’s administration has approved multi-billion naira grants for two federal universities of agriculture as part of efforts to enhance food production and empower smallholder farmers in Nigeria.
The announcement was made over the weekend by Doyin Johnson, a governing council member of the Federal University of Agriculture, Bayelsa State, during an event organized by the Intellectual Elite Youth Association of Nigeria (IEYAN) in Lagos.
According to Johnson, the grants align with Tinubu’s commitment to reducing Nigeria’s dependence on imported food and oil. He disclosed that the Federal University of Agriculture, Bayelsa, received N2.64 billion, while the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, was allocated N7 billion for farming initiatives. Additionally, funding was provided for the Federal University of Agriculture in Mubi.
Johnson, an APC chieftain, emphasized that these investments would stabilize food prices by increasing local production. “When you want to sell your bag of rice for N50,000, and someone in Abeokuta is selling for N25,000, your price will crash,” he explained.
He further highlighted Tinubu’s broader economic reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies and regulatory changes in Nigeria’s mining sector. He revealed that the government had revoked mining licenses that previously allowed unauthorized extraction of gold and other minerals. “Many Chinese, in collaboration with powerful Nigerians, were illegally mining gold and exporting it without paying the government. But that has stopped,” he stated.
Johnson also commended the introduction of student loans, describing them as a historic policy aimed at expanding educational access. He urged Nigerians to remain patient, expressing confidence that “next year will be better than this year.”
The agricultural grants are expected to play a vital role in Tinubu’s agenda to achieve food security and sustainable economic growth in Nigeria.
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