The Vice-President Kashim Shettima says President Bola Tinubu is very passionate about reducing the cost of fertiliser to ensure that Nigerian farmers attain food security.
Shettima said this on Tuesday at a stakeholders’ meeting with Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) and the Federal Government.
Stakeholders at the meeting, held in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, include the Minister of Agriculture, Sen. Abubakar Kyari and Minister of State for Agriculture, Sen. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.
The meeting focused on the 33,000 metric tonnes of Potash donated to the Federal Government by Russia’s Uralchem Group and UN Partners.
Recalled that during the last Russia-Africa Summit held in St. Petersburg Russia, in July, the Federal Government’s delegation met with the leadership of Uralchem Group and World Food Programme (WFP).
The meeting centred on the donation of a consignment of 33,000 metric tonnes of potash.
According to the Vice-President, the goal is to serve the Nigerian people.
“Our goal is to serve the Nigerian people.
“President Tinubu is very passionate about reducing the cost of fertiliser for the Nigerian public; no strings attached, no vested interests.
“The President will be happy if the price of fertiliser collapses by 50 per cent after this exercise.
“President Tinubu gives a high premium to achieving the agenda of food security in the country.
“This accounts for the declaration of the state of emergency in the food security sector by the Tinubu administration in July.
“We have many challenges with food security.
“However, we are lucky because President Tinubu is very empathetic and passionate about achieving food sufficiency in the country.”
He stressed the seriousness attached to the donation and distribution of the potash from Uralchem Group.
“There has to be transparency, equity and fairness in the distribution for the reason that the end beneficiaries are the Nigerian farmers and their leadership is seated here.”
The Vice-President assured the stakeholders that there would be transparency.
“We are going to use our own blenders and the beneficiaries have to be the Nigerian people.”
He noted that NEMA, World Food Programme (WFP) and AFEX, a commodity exchange firm, had the database and other requirements to assist the government to reach the farmers.
This, according to him, will be carried out in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security which will drive the process.
Others in attendance were the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Dr Ernest Umakhihe; Director-General of NEMA, Mustapha Ahmed and the President, All Farmers Association of Nigeria, Malam Kabir Ibrahim.
Also at the meeting were the President, Fertiliser Producers And Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN), Sadiq Kassim; the Country Director of World Food Programme, Khusro Jawed and representatives of the National Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and a Associated Foreign Exchange (AFEX).