Eid-el-Kabir: Niger Gov Urges Nigerians To Embrace Farming

Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger on Saturday advised citizens of the state to embrace farming to improve the country’s food security.

Bello gave the advice when the Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Faruk and members of the Emirate Council paid him Sallah homage in Minna.

He said Nigerians were currently faced with hardship as a result of fall in oil prices.

The governor said the people must key into the government’s diversification process of bringing back agriculture as the mainstay of the economy.

He, therefore, urged the people to embrace the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Anchor Borrower’s Scheme in order to improve food production in the country.

“Support the government’s programmes and policies because we are doing everything possible to see that the hardship of our people is reduced,” he said.

On the celebration, Bello urged the royal father to collaborate with the government in ensuring that his subjects were law abiding and imbibe the spirit of peaceful co-existence.

“Pray for peaceful and for improved economy of the country as we mark this year’s Ed-el -Kabir,’’ he said.

Earlier, Alhaji Umar Faruk, expressed delight in government’s attempts in supporting farmers in the state, adding that the people were taking advantages of the strides to expand their farms.

“There is no other way to get out of the economic hardship, people must embrace agriculture due to its advantage to the country’s economy and for prosperity of the state,’’ the royal father said.

He said that farmers from his domain had been exporting yams , adding that only improved farming would make the country become real exporter of food stuffs.

The emir urged the people to eschew bitterness and embrace peaceful co-existence in the spirit of the Sallah.

“We should avoid trouble no matter the provocation and keep away from any kind of chaos, learn to live in peace irrespective of our differences in tribe, religion and groups,” Faruk said.

He also commended the state government’s developmental strides in the areas of road rehabilitation, upgrading of schools and hospitals infrastructure.