President Muhammadu Buhari has linked Nigeria’s gradual economic growth trajectory to improved agricultural activities, claiming that “people went back to farm.”
Buhari , who made the claim during a bilateral meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States, also solicited financial assistance from foreign leaders to sustain the nation’s economic growth momentum.
Speaking with the Queen of Netherlands, Maxima Zorreguieta, at the sidelines of the meeting, the Nigerian leader said: “People went back to the land, and this helped us tremendously. We made fertilizers available, resuscitated dams, and it all paid off handsomely.”
Buhari maintained that but his government’s initiatives in terms of funding, mechanization and other supports the country’s economy would have remained in depression given the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economic system.
He expatiated: “With about 200 million people, we would have been in trouble when COVID-19 struck and affected the economy.”
The president also spoke on the government’s decision to close Nigerian borders in 2019, saying the measure helped in boosting local food production and Nigerians decided to “eat what we grow.”
While seeking the Netherlands leader’s funding of the nation’s agricultural sector, the President maintained that “we have the land. We have the people. Capital input is what we need.”
Buhari also spoke on efforts by his administration to upgrade Nigeria’s critical infrastructure for sustainable development of the country, pointing out that “without infrastructure, development would be limited, so we put emphasis on building roads, rail, and power. We have a comprehensive plan, and we are doing our best.”
He identified inadequate funds as a major constraint undermining the effort to fast-track the various in infrastructure projects in the country.
In her remarks, Ms Zorreguieta commended the Nigerian president for the efforts by his government to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that “you spent a great part of your GDP.”
The Netherlands monarch assured the Nigerian leader that “you won’t be alone. We will be there along with other partners.”
