President Muhammadu Buhari has declared Nigeria’s commitment to becoming Africa’s fertilizer powerhouse by developing the Nigerian fertilizer value chain.
He attributed Nigeria’s rising prominence to the implementation of the “right policies” by his administration, which has given birth to over seventy active blending plants in the country.
In a statement made by the special adviser, Femi Adesina, on behalf of the president, Buhari said Nigeria is definitely a global player in the Urea space.
“With our over seventy blending parts operating, Nigeria is on its way becoming Africa’s fertilizer powerhouse. And with our mega Urea production facilities, Nigeria is definitely a global player in the Urea space,” the president was quoted to have said at an audience with the Executive Committee of Fertilizer products and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN).
According to Buhari, this remarkable achievement within a short period of time, had contributed to a steady flow of investments to the sector from the private sector; thereby, contributing to high returns for investors and bringing prosperity to millions of Nigerians.
He assured Nigeria that shortage of fertilisers is now a thing of the past. He however commended FEPSAN for partnering with the Government in the very patriotic backward integration project of enhancing the agricultural value chain.
He stated, “For Nigeria, a predominantly agrarian nation, having an inclusive economy meant we needed to prioritize the enhancement of our agricultural value chain.”
“We quickly identified the persistent shortage of fertilizer as a key reason for the low yields experienced in our farms,” he added.
According to him, “This historical scarcity of fertilizer was due to our over reliance on imports and the inefficient participation of the Government in distributing this essential commodity to the farmers. As, a government, it was very clear to us that these practices needed to change. Naturally is naturally blessed with most of the raw materials needed to produce fertilizers.”
He mentioned that the country has all the necessary skills required to transform raw materials to fertilizers and that with the right environment, Nigeria has the capable entrepreneurs who are ready to invest in the sector.
Also speaking, FEPSAN President, Thomas Etuh appreciated President Buhari for commissioning two facilities by members of the Association – Barbados blending plant in Kaduna and the Dangote Urea plant in Lagos in a period of two months.
“With our over seventy blending parts operating, Nigeria is on its way becoming Africa’s fertilizer powerhouse”
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