As Nigeria and other African countries suffer wheat shortage, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr Mohammad Abubakar, Tuesday, vowed to ensure Nigeria ranks Africa’s largest wheat producer and exporter.
Abubakar made the declaration in his keynote address delivered at the Stakeholders Validation Workshop of the National Wheat Strategy Document for Self-sufficiency in Nigeria held in Abuja.
He said this lofty dream can be achieved if Sudan and Ethiopia can do it why can’t Nigeria achieve more and export to rest of the world.
He said: “The wheat industry has been a serious concern to the government of this country because our national requirement of wheat is 5.7 million metric tonnes annually while our production is only 420,000 metric tonnes as against the 71,000 metric tonnes.
“According to the Central Bank of Nigeria statistical report of 2020, Nigeria imported over $6 billion worth of wheat from 2016 to 2020. This is quite worrisome and unsustainable for a crop that could be produced locally to meet our national demand and beyond.
“As we are all aware the multiplier effect of COVID-19 pandemic and the current Russian-Ukraine War drastically affected the supply of wheat in the international market.
“Considering our growing population and our consumption rate for wheat and wheat products, and Nigeria has no option than to boost its own productivity and production to meet national demand.
“It is in this regard, the draft national strategy document was developed as a policy framework for direction.
“Indeed, the success of story of rice revolution through the National Strategy Document has transformed the rice industry in Nigeria.
“It is my firm belief that the replication of this same thing with wheat industry is not beyond the reach of Nigeria.
“If countries like Sudan and Ethiopia can do it why can’t Nigeria? We are bigger, more populous, more resources of all kinds, all kinds of climate, geological and ecological. In fact, if you plant anything on this planet you will find a place in Nigeria and wheat is no exception.”
However, the Minister said 10 years is too long to achieve self-sufficiency in wheat production and others.
“In fact, I am thinking 10 years is even too long for us to achieve sufficiency. We can do it. All we have to do is to push the buttons and we will get there.
“I can assure you, for me, I will leave no stone unturned. I will go from here to the ‘moon’ while I am still a Minister of Agric to see that we achieve these goals of making sure that we produce wheat just as in rice we are number one in Africa today, I see no reason why we cannot be number one in wheat in Africa”, he stated.
-Vanguard
