Ilorin- An Ilorin based-Lawyer, Mr Festus Adekunle, on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to ban importation of some food items to promote local production.
Adekunle gave the charge in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin.
The legal practitioner also called on government at all levels to focus more on agriculture in order to boost the nation’s economy.
According to him, there cannot be any economic salvation in a country that failed to develop its agricultural potentials.
He said Nigeria was richly blessed with abundant natural resources, that if properly harnessed would boost the nation’s economy and create jobs for millions youths.
Adekunle said that if Nigeria cannot cultivate and manufacture her own foods, the nation’s economy would continue to face challenges.
“Nigeria is blessed with a wide variety of agricultural resources ranging from varieties of crops to animals, plants and natural agricultural supportive factors like forests, waters, land and most of all, human resources.
“Instead of focusing on importation, the Federal Government should channel its attention to these resources and harness them to better our economy.
“I believe that Nigeria as a nation has all it takes to be totally self reliance and independent,’’ he said.
Adekunle, therefore, urged the Federal Government to make agriculture its priority and invest heavily in it for the country to be self sufficient in food production.
The legal practitioner also implored the Federal Government to increase it budgetary allocation to agriculture in order to aid adequate research in the sector.
