AGRICULTURE stakeholders have lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for directing Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to blacklist any firm complicit in smuggling or dumping any of the 43 restricted items into Nigeria.

The stakeholders commended Buhari in separate interviews with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.

NAN recalls that the presidential directive also mandated the apex bank to expand and provide support to firms and individuals interested in expanding production of 10 different agricultural commodities in Nigeria.

The 10 commodities are; rice, maize, cassava, tomatoes, cotton, palm oil, poultry, fish, livestock dairy and cocoa.

Mr Godwin Emefiele, CBN Governor said that to achieve the presidential directive, the bank would also work to encourage viable off-taker agreements between farmers and large-scale palm producing companies.

Mr Daramola Richard, Assistant Quality Manager at West African Cotton limited, said that the directive by the President was the “right decision in the right direction at the right time’’.

“It is sure going to work out fine, but the initiative can only be achieved through positive attitude with responsibilities at different levels of involvement in the programme,’’ Richard said.

He urged farmers and other investors to ensure integrity and honesty; and avoid diverting any fund or support for agriculture from the Federal Government to other businesses.

“Every hand must be on desk because an initiative like this has a lot of long term benefits. So, patience on the part of everyone is what is required,” he added.

Mr Tunmise Olagbaju, Managing Director, Real People Concept, hailed the directive, saying it was a good initiative that must be well managed by concerned parties for better results.

Olagbaju, who described it as a bold initiative by the president, noted that it would boost domestic production and consumption, but said however, that there should be support for local expansion.

“If this is done, all the stakeholders will be committed to making it work for the common good of all Nigerians.

“The Federal Government should make support accessible to real farmers and producers of all the agricultural commodities listed in Mr President’s directive to CBN,’’ Olagbaju said. (NAN)

– June 18, 2019 @ 14:49 GMT |