Council of state approves $1bn for agriculture - Governor Amosun reveals

Council of state approves $1bn for agriculture - Governor Amosun reveals

- Governor Ibikunle Amosun says the national council of state is increasing funding for agriculture to $1 billion from $200 million

- Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa says the funding would help stop Nigeria from importation of items it can produce

- The council also approved some appointments

The national council of state which met on Thursday, February 22, agreed that funding for agriculture should be increased from the current $200 million to $1 billion to aid diversification and ensure food security, Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun has said.

Daily Trust reports that Governor Amosun told reporters tha the money would be disbursed through the Anchor Borrower Programme and other existing initiatives.

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“CBN, in collaboration with the ministries of agriculture and Trade and Investment, all of them are putting heads together to help our small and medium scale enterprises. All these our small holder farmers, we are helping them now.

“Indeed, it was even mentioned that the $1 billion may not be okay, we are looking at maybe $2 billion, but of course, $1 billion will be the starting point,” Amosun said.

On his part, the governor of Jigawa state, Abubakar Badaru, explained that livestock would also benefit from the $1 billion support.

According to him, the fund would be given as credit to farmers to develop their own businesses with a view to boosting the economy as well as act as import substitution mechanism.

With this, he said, it would help the country to stop importation of milk, beef, chicken and others in the category.

“So, it is not purely designed to support the rich livestock producers, but to support the movement of those existing herdsmen that cause this problem and these clashes,” he said.

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Further speaking, the governor of Anambra state, Willey Obiano, revealed that the council approved the appointments of two non-legal practitioners to the federal Judicial Service Commission (JSC), a commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and 23 members of the National Population Commission (NPC).

Legit.ng earlier reported that pictures of President Muhammadu Buhari discussing with former heads of state after the council of state meeting has emerged.

It was earlier reported that the meeting took place on Thursday, February 22, at the presidential villa, Abuja.

Some of the former heads of state who attended the meeting included Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun Obasanjo and Abdusalami Abubakar.

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Source: Legit.ng

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