Why Nigeria must develop agriculture –Wike

Nyesom Wike

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has stated that agriculture should be developed as the country’s next foreign exchange earner in view of dwindling oil prices.


 Wike stated this in Government House, Port Harcourt on Saturday when the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh and the Minister of State for Agriculture, Senator Heineken Lokpobiri paid him a courtesy call.

 The governor said developing agriculture would generate employment and strengthen the economy. He said: “Agriculture is a critical sector, which should be developed as a major foreign exchange earner for the country. Rivers State Government will work with the Federal Government to develop agriculture.”

 He said that the state government has initiated school farming to encourage youths to be involved in agriculture. The governor added that his administration has also extended loans to farmers for greater agricultural production.

He approved the hosting of the 2017 agricultural conference in Rivers State as requested by the Minister of Agriculture. In his remarks, Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh said he was in Rivers State to visit Notore, the fertiliser production facility.

According to him, Rivers State hosts the two biggest fertiliser plants in Nigeria, Notore and Indorama, hence the state remains critical in the development of Agriculture in the country.