TheCable

The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) and Fertilizers Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) have donated N1.77 billion to fund the re-election campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari

The associations disclosed this during a gala night organised by beneficiaries of the federal government’s anchor borrowers programme, at the state house conference centre, Abuja.

Aminu Goronyo, RIFAN president, said with a membership of about 12.2 million, and with each member donating N100 to the campaign, it will translate to N1.2 billion.

Thomas Etuh, president of FEPSAN, on his part, said FEPSAN is contributing N570 million to the re-election bid of the president.

Goronyo and Etuh said the programmes have changed the fortunes of the agriculture sector, which they described as unprecedented empowerment programme.

Goronyo said apart from the increasing progress in the sector, the president’s policies have also resulted in the saving of billions of naira for the country.

According to him, “all these achievements are from your commitments and favorable policies to agriculture.”

Etuh, on his part said N120 billion was saved in two years from fertilizer subsidy.

Godwin Emefiele, governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, (CBN), said the ABP launched on November 17, 2015, has resulted in the saving of $800 million.

He said import bills before the introduction of the programme was as high as N1.4 trillion annually, adding that the programme has been created 2.5 million jobs from rice farming alone.

Emefiele described the programme as the most successful anchor programme in Africa, adding that “It has raised the standard of our farmers.

“The programme is changing the narrative of agricultural investments in Nigeria. It has brought the era of food security and sustenance leading to a cut in forex being used for the importation of rice and other food items into the country.”