President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government said huge investment in agricultural sector of the economy is ongoing to address hunger in the land.
The Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who disclosed this when the Executive and members of the Association of Corporate Online Editors, ACOE, paid him a visit in Abuja said Nigerians should take to farming for the benefit of their families in order to address the challenges associated with rising cost of food in Nigeria.
He said the present administration is not responsible for food shortage or scarcity that has made the prices of essential commodities to skyrocket but greed and act of unpatriotism by some citizens who take undue advantage of the situation to exploit others.
“The government is investing in agriculture to make things available and affordable, and as individuals, we also have a role to play,” he said.
Mr. Onanuga also noted that this is not the first time the country is going through this kind of crisis, as successive governments have had a fair share of similar situation in the past.
“In 1976, former President Olusegun Obasanjo introduced ‘Operation Feed the Nation,’ promoting farming.
“In 1984, when former President Muhammadu Buhari came in, there were shortages of rice, milk, and sugar, and the government had to open warehouses to make these items available to people.
“This is not the first time we are going through this kind of crisis,” he said.
The Special Adviser further noted that things were not working as President Bola Tinubu had expected CTC but assured that in the next twelve months, Nigerians will begin to see the results of government’s efforts in every sphere of life.
“Though people complain about hardship, I told the BBC that cost of living crises exist globally.
“Maybe what is happening in the world is a cycle, and countries will have to go through certain difficulties.
“We are going through it, but this government is making serious efforts to reduce the hardships faced by our people,” Onanuga added.
On partnership with members of the Association of Corporate Online Editors, ACOE, he promised the association of a robust relationship towards the dissemination of news inline with global best practices.
He however, urged the group to partner with the government in propagating its activities inline with its professional ethics of fairness, objectivity, unbiased and balance reporting.
Earlier, The acting Chairman, ACOE, Martins Odiete spoke on the importance of partnering with the presidential media team at a time when Nigerians are eager for essential information from their government.
He also assured the presidency of the availability of the association as moulders of public opinions to disseminate accurate and timely information of government’s agenda to the both domestic and foreign investors in order to attract more foreign direct investment into the country.
“In an age where information flows ceaselessly across digital platforms, this partnership is pivotal for ensuring accurate, responsible and effective dissemination of news and information.
“By working together, we can ensure that the information reaching the public serves the greater good of society,” he said.
