Buhari tasks farmers on massive food production

…Says ‘no money for food importation’

…Approves medical research, facilities’ funding by TETFund

TRACKING___President Muhammadu Buhari has challenged Nigerian farmers on the need to embark on massive productive agricultural activities this farming season as Nigeria has no money for food importation.

The president gave the challenge shortly after observing this year’s Eid prayer alongside members of his family and few presidential aides at the presidential villa, Abuja, on Sunday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Eid-El-Fitr prayer was observed in line with the protocol against mass gathering issued by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, while the protocol of social distancing was also exhibited during the two-raka’at prayer.

President Buhari, who spoke to State House correspondents, said: “I hope the raining season would be bountiful, so that we get a lot of food.

“I wish the farmers will go to farms and save the lives so that we can produce what we need in sufficient quantity so that we don’t have to import food.

“In any, we don’t have any money to import food. So we must produce what we are going to eat.’’

On the COVID 19 pandemic, President Buhari reiterated his advice to Nigerians to strictly adhere to guidelines and measures put in place against the spread of the deadly virus in the country.

He noted 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.

He said: “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 we have.

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“So, it’s a very frightening development and I advised 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 Nigeria, we should be very careful.’’

The First Lady, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, who also observed the Eid prayer with the president, thanked almighty Allah for sparing the lives of Muslim ummah throughout the Ramadan period.

Aisha, who enjoined the Nigerian women to continue to be on the fore front of the fight the Coronavirus pandemic across the country, prayed that Allah would forgive the sins of those who lost their lives as a result of the virus, and grant them Aljanah Firdausi (Paradise).

“We must thank the almighty Allah for the successful completion of the holy Month of Ramadan, despite the current difficult circumstances we found ourselves.

“I wish to thank the Federal Ministry of Health and also the NCDC for their efforts in combating the pandemic,’’ she said.

President Buhari had on May 22 pledged to conduct his Eid prayers with his family at home as directed by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, who is also the President General of the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI).

In another development, President Buhari has approved funding of six Medical Simulation, Research and Training Facilities in Colleges of Medicine, through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

In a statement on Sunday, in Abuja, TETFund’s Director of Public Affairs, Mrs Ngoba Briggs, said the facilities would aid the setting up of Molecular Science Laboratories with capacity for testing and diagnosing COVID-19, Lassa Fever, and other related viral diseases.

Briggs said the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, had directed the Executive Secretary of the fund, Prof. Suleiman Bogoro, to select a university in each of the six geo-political zones, where the projects would be executed.

She said that TETFund had been mandated to establish 12 Medical Centers of Excellence to be hosted by first, second and third generation universities.

She added that Adamu had emphasised that, besides ongoing research work in response to COVID-19 and similar diseases through the TETFund National Research Fund (NRF), the Research Community of the ministry should undertake any other sundry contributions.

This was to support of the commendable efforts of the Presidential Task Force (PTF), in responding to the threat of COVID-19 in Nigeria, she added.

Briggs said the centers of excellence, according to the directive, should be distributed in such a way that two must be sited in each geo-political zone.

In a similar statement, Mr Buhari Mikailu, Director, Physical Infrastructure Development, Tetfund, said additional centers of excellence would be sited in state universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education in `subsequent years’.

Mikailu said areas of focus of the centers of excellence, in line with contemporary practice and technologies, were mainly in science-based disciplines.

He said the approval was initiated through the recommendation of the fund’s Board of Trustees (BoT), and endorsement of Adamu.

He said the purpose was to signify a major paradigm shift in research and excellence in the universities.