The Minister/Deputy Chairman National Planning Commission, Dr. Abubakar Olarenwaju Sulaiman has disclosed that the federal government is coming up with a policy soon that will ensure that products the country have the capabilities to produce within including fertilizer, are no longer allowed to be imported in to the country.
The minister made this disclosure in Kaduna, Tuesday when he visited the Super phosphate Fertilizer and Chemicals Ltd, in continuation of his monitoring tour of privatized companies under the Bureau of Privatized Enterprises (BPE).
‘’ We need to stop importation of products we can produce in Nigeria including fertilizer. A policy statement is coming out in few weeks to address that. What we can produce in Nigeria, we must not import’’ he added.
Dr Sulaiman also stated that the Agricultural sector has had impressive impact on Nigerians and government is also keen to further boost the sector in the rural area.
Accordingly, he said that President Jonathan’s administration through the Ministry of Agriculture has ended the scam of fertilizer which was synonymous with the sector in the past and also assured that the federal government will ensure that local producers of fertilizers do not suffer low patronage as the ban on the importation will boost local patronage from Nigerians.
He also argued that if the country must address the issue of job creation and reduction of poverty, then the local companies must be sustained and encouraged to expand their capacities for production, he added.
The minister then advised the company to beef up security in their company by mounting Closed Circuit Television (CCTV), enlisting the support of the military and body scanners to ensure a better security of the place and also forestall a situation where insurgents can steal their products and cause harm in the country.
Briefing the minister earlier, the Chairman of the company, Barrister Shehu Birman lauded the president for the faith re posed in the company by handing over the company to them which has translated to the company now producing 5000 metric tons of fertilizer as well as having the capacity to produce 70,000 tons yearly.
Birma also described agriculture as the best way to go in Nigeria judging from Nigeria’s huge population and commended the support now coming from the federal government to boost the sector.
He listed; low patronage as a result of importation of fertilizer and electricity concern as their major challenges faced by company.
