Buhari pledges to bequeath zero wheat import as his legacy
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Nigeria imports $2 billion worth of wheat yearly but Muhammadu Buhari wants it to stop by 2023, citing the vast hectares of cultivable land in the North East and North West where more millions of tonnes of the grain can be produced.
Nigeria is in the world top 10 of wheat importers and the third largest importer in Africa, according the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
A report released the FAO released in June said Nigeria imported an average 5.2 million tonnes of wheat between 2018/2019 and 2020/2021, and is forecast to rise to 5. 5 million tonnes by 2021/22 at a rate of 5.1 per cent.
Buhari pledged at the inauguration of the Brown Revolution of Wheat in Miango, Plateau State that zero wheat import will be his legacy when he leaves office in 2023.
He said the government is committed to supporting agriculture to ensure food security, contribute to foreign reserves, and support economic growth, per The Guardian (Nigeria).
“One legacy this administration desires to bequeath before leaving office is zero importation of wheat. To that end, we will work with all stakeholders to ensure this objective is achieved in the most impactful way for the Nigerian economy,” he said.
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Buhari commended efforts of key agencies contributing to the sector, such as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), Lake Chad Research Institute (LCRI), Flour Mills, and other public and private sector players.
He implored the private sector to key into the agricultural financing schemes of the CBN and other government agencies.
“It is important to stress that Nigeria currently spends over $2 billion on the importation of wheat yearly, one of the key contributors to the nation’s huge foreign import bill.
“This is because millers have had to resort to importing wheat to meet the huge demand for wheat by-products,” said Buhari, represented by Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong.
Wheat import adds to naira weakeness
CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele reiterated that food security is a major concern for governments across the globe, which is why the CBN supports Abuja by providing affordable and accessible financing to drive domestic food production.
He said the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) of the CBN is a game changer in financing smallholder farmers through funding models centred on building an effective agro-ecosystem hinged on value chain.
“It is estimated that the country only produces about one (1) per cent (63,000 metric tons) of the 5-6 million metric tons of the commodity consumed annually in Nigeria. This enormous demand-supply gap is bridged with over $2 billion spent annually on wheat importation,” he said.
Over the years, he added, low-yielding seeds and poor agronomic practices had hampered the cultivation of wheat which led to low productivity, making wheat production unappealing to farmers and unattractive for private sector investment.
Emefiele had disclosed on November 9 that wheat, the third most widely consumed grain in Nigeria, is a major factor in the exchange rate imbalance, per Nairametrics.
“Wheat is the third most widely consumed grain in Nigeria after maize and rice. It is estimated that the country only produces about one per cent (63,000 metric tons) of the 5-6 million metric tons of the commodity consumed annually in Nigeria.
“This enormous demand-supply gap is bridged with over $2 billion spent annually on wheat importation. This has made wheat the second highest contributor to the country’s food import bill,” he said in Jos, represented by CBN Deputy Governor (Corporate Services), Edward Adamu.
“Given the high growth rate of the country’s population and the demographic structure, the demand for wheat is projected to continue to rise. This can only intensify pressure on the country’s reserves unless we take a decisive step to grow wheat locally.”
According to him, the ABP has assisted smallholder farmers in expanding crop production across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
“Through the programme, N788.035 billion has been disbursed to about four million farmers through 23 Participating Financial Institutions (PFI).
“So far, 4.796 million hectares of farmlands have been cultivated under the programme covering 21 commodities.”