President Muhammadu Buhari has encouraged farmers across the country to increase cultivation during the rainy season, as the country can no longer import food due to the impact of coronavirus pandemic on the nation’s economy.
Speaking to newsmen on Sunday, shortly after observing the two raqa’at Eid prayer alongside members of his family and few presidential aides at the presidential villa, Abuja, President Buhari advised farmers to maximise the season of rainfall to increase food production.
“I hope the rainy season would be bountiful so that we can get a lot of food,” said the president.
“I wish the farmers will go to farms so that we can produce what we need in sufficient quantity so that we don’t have to import food.
“In any case, we don’t have any money to import food. So, we must produce what we are going to eat.”
Buhari who also observed the Eid prayers in line with the protocol against mass gathering issued by the Presidential Task Force, PTF on COVID-19, appealed to Nigerians to strictly adhere to guidelines and measures put in place against the spread of the deadly virus in the country.
He remarked that the pandemic had reduced both developed and developing nations to the same level and advised Nigerians to always be careful so as to avoid infections.
“Nigerians can see that the COVID-19 has reduced us, both the developing and developed countries, to the same level. In fact, we have least casualties than they have,” he said.
“So, it’s a very frightening development and I advise Nigerians to be very careful and take the advice of the Ministry of Health.
“Ministers of Health have been doing very well, speaking and educating the citizens on the deadly virus. So, we should be very careful.”
