President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration was committed to developing agriculture to raise agriculture production and its value chain, to ensure food sufficiency in the country and exportation of agricultural products.

The president also said by the end of his administration, he would leave Nigeria more united, prosperous and secure than he met it.

Mr Buhari was speaking through his Chief of Staff, Ibrahim Gambari, during a working visit to inspect the level of work at the Agriculture Machinery and Equipment Development Institute (AMEDI) on Sunday in Lafia, the Nasarawa state capital.

The president said enormous steps had been taken to realise an increase in agriculture production as one of his administration’s key priorities was to transform the sector from subsistence to a very sophisticated machine driven.

This, he said, would bring about food sufficiency and food security in the country and also provide for the exportation of agricultural products.

He commended the leadership of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) for the commitment and progress made on the project.

“President Buhari regards agriculture as something very close to his heart because he believes that the time has come when we must produce what to eat and to eat what we produce to ensure food sufficiency and food security.

“He is very proud to be associated with this state, he is very proud of the significant development that has taken place in this state; God willing, by the time of the end of his administration, he will leave Nigeria more united, prosperous and secure than he found it,” he said.

Earlier, Mohammed Haruna, executive vice chairman of NASENI, said the institute was one of the six approved by the president in 2021, one per political zone to guarantee food security and apply modern tools and equipment for mechanised agriculture.

(NAN)