President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his administration is doing its best to prioritize the provision of infrastructure and development.
He said this on Wednesday, September 22, during a bilateral meeting at the margins of the United Nations General Assembly holding in New York, USA, with Her Majesty, Maxima Zorreguieta, Queen of The Netherlands.
President Buhari, at the meeting, told Queen Maxima that Nigeria is well aware of her limitations, and thus prioritized the building of infrastructure.
In a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina quoted Buhari to have said that, “Without infrastructure, the development would be limited, so we put emphasis on building roads, rail, and power. We have a comprehensive plan, and we are doing our best.”
He added that the country is hampered by resources, despite being oil-exporting, and that with more financial wherewithal, infrastructure works would be sped up. Buhari assured the Queen, who last visited Nigeria in 2017, that if she returned, she would see a lot of difference.
In the area of agriculture, the President said Nigerian borders have been closed to encourage farmers, and also enable others to eat what we grow. “People went back to the land, and this helped us tremendously. We made fertilizers available, resuscitated dams, and it all paid off handsomely. Otherwise, with about 200 million people, we would have been in trouble when COVID-19 struck and affected the economy.” he said
He said Nigeria could do with more help in the area of investments, particularly in agriculture.
“We have the land, we have the people, capital input is what we need,” the President stated, adding that Nigerian farmers were quite receptive to modern agriculture systems, especially in respect of reducing post-harvest waste.
In her remarks, Queen Zorreguieta lauded what she called “the huge effort” made by Nigeria to combat the Coronavirus pandemic, saying; “you spent a great part of your GDP.”
She said she had a huge commitment to Nigeria; “You won’t be alone. We will be there along with other partners.” she said
The Queen said agriculture is like music to her ears, being the daughter of a former Minister of Agriculture, and her biggest plea would be for Nigeria to make infrastructure available so that investors and aid donors can access areas beyond the major cities.
“We need roads, railways and digital financial inclusion for farmers. The government needs to digitize all payments,” she said.