Nigeria Denies N60bn Phones-For-Farmers

The Minister for Agriculture,  Akinwunmi Adesina, has refuted claims that he intends to spend N60 billion in buying mobile telephones to farmers across the country.

Adesina has been severely criticised in the media for planning to spend the mind-boggling sum of money to achieve his agricultural transformational policy, among which is dissemination of information to farmers through the use of mobile phones.

He said in a press release he personally issued that the information was “incorrect”, adding that the permanent secretary in the ministry from which the statement originally emanated was “misquoted out of context”.

“There is no N60bn for phones anywhere. As a minister who takes public accountability and probity seriously, there is absolutely no way in the world that I will even contemplate or approve such expenditure,” he said.

Explaining the rationale behind the policy, Adesina stated that government’s intention was to modernise the agricultural sector and get younger graduates and entrepreneurs involved.

He said the need to properly disseminate information on climate change  to farmers is in line with global best practices.

“Our goal is to empower every farmer. No farmer will be left behind. We will reach them in their local languages and use mobile phones to trigger information revolution that will drive an agricultural revolution”.

—Fola Ademosu