4th January, 2024
By Taiwo Okanlawon
Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, said the 2024 N28.7 trillion annual budget which was passed and signed into law was aimed at tackling hunger and poverty in the land.
He assured Nigerians to keep hope in the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that legislators raised the budget to the figure that was passed based on some extraneous salient issues that must be tackled, one of which he said, was the policy of addressing hunger in Nigeria.
Adeola, who is the Senate Committee Chairman on Appropriation, stated this on Wednesday in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government area of Ogun State while speaking with newsmen at the sidelines of a New Year Thanksgiving celebration.
He expressed optimism that hunger would be lessened through conscious programmes targeted at the poor, adding that President Bola Tinubu bought into the idea and was working to end the economic hardship faced by Nigerians.
According to him, President Tinubu happily signed the budget into law when he realized the much attention given to tackling poverty as provided by the upper and lower lawmakers.
He said in the 29.7 trillion budget signed into law, the agricultural sector alone gulped over N300 billion and was a show of commitment that the administration meant well for Nigerians, adding that the country would be concentrating on food production and food security this year.
“As you can see, the president has signed the appropriation bill into law, we now have a N28.7 trillion appropriation bill and out of which Agriculture alone is taking over N300 billion.
“What that simply means is that the government of the day is determined to end hunger in the country and will be doing so much in the area of food production.
“Also in ending hunger in the land, we (the lawmakers) have done so much in the appropriation act that was just recently signed by Mr President to ensure food security in Nigeria,” he said.