On Tuesday, the federal government distributed NPK fertilisers to 1,200 Lagos East Senatorial District farmers to address the country’s food crisis.

Speaking at the event, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru (Lagos East), represented by Enitan Olukotun, his media aide, thanked President Bola Tinubu for his prompt response in ensuring food security for the people.

The fertiliser was distributed at Mr Abiru’s constituency office in Ikorodu, Lagos.

Mr Abiru, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and other Financial Institutions, said the only way to address food shortage and the high cost of food was to increase food production.

“The fertiliser is being distributed in a very transparent manner to farmers without discrimination,” Mr Abiru added.

Earlier, Femi Oke, chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) South-West, thanked the president for bringing succour to the farmers through the supply of free fertilisers to increase food security in the country.

Mr Oke said food shortage arose as a result of insecurity, bandit herders challenge, disease outbreak, the COVID-19 pandemic and the removal of subsidy on petrol.

He said all these challenges had led to the inflation being currently experienced in the country.

According to him, AFAN and other agricultural stakeholders at the national level have reviewed fertiliser distribution, making it every five years for an exponential increase in food production and exportation for foreign exchange.

Mr Oke appealed to the government to allow the association to use the Ogun-Osun River Basin in the Ito-Ikin area to boost rice production, saying it was underutilised.

(NAN)