Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has said that his administration investment target in the area of Agriculture since assuming office is geared at tackling the mounting poverty among citizens of the State, particularly those in the rural areas.
He noted that the State has up its investments in the sector, through the support given by the Federal Government to his administration, and had succeeded in checkmating poverty by creating more farm-related jobs.
Governor Sani stated this during the distribution of Presidential palliative relief material at Umaru Yar’adua Conference Centre, noted that President Tinubu had made interventions in the agriculture sector, bringing down the level of poverty in the State and Northern Nigeria, in general.
“The poverty level in Northern Nigeria, particularly in the North-West, was hovering around 65% to 70%. But in the last two years, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has made very important interventions. We are not just talking about palliatives, we are talking about deep, structural support.
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“No president has supported agriculture development like President Tinubu. We’ve received fertilizer support, funding for smallholder farmers, and billions in monetary support irrespective of party affiliations. These interventions have addressed infrastructure deficit, job creation, and poverty reduction.
“Without allowing local governments to have autonomy, we cannot address poverty or employment in Nigeria. All 23 local government chairmen in Kaduna are here today. You are the real drivers of this initiative”, he noted.
Underscoring Kaduna State’s commitment to agriculture, the governor pointed out that the sector contributes about 43% to Nigeria’s GDP and employs around 60% of the workforce, and here in Kaduna State, apart from fighting poverty through agriculture, the State intends to be the agriculture hub of Nigeria
According to the governor, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s grassroots development agenda need to be supported by all levels of Government, adding that the battle against poverty and unemployment cannot be won without full autonomy for local governments.
Earlier, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, commended the President Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope” Agenda, praising his courage in implementing tough but necessary reforms.
“The President thinks, breathes, and works for Nigeria. He’s confronting our realities without blame. Today, our global ratings have improved, and bold measures are turning the country in the right direction”, Bagudu noted.
