The governor of Sokoto State, Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, has promised the state’s farmers of his administration’s willingness to work with their organization, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, to boost the state’s agricultural industry.
The governor made this comment while speaking to association executive members who paid him a courtesy call at his office on Thursday.
During his campaign, he included agriculture as one of his nine points, and he stressed the importance of the association to his strategy for achieving the goal.
In order to reposition the agriculture sector in Sokoto State, the governor asked for the association’s full collaboration and support while assuring them that his administration would consult with other pertinent associations in the state.
Alhaji Jamilu Sanusi, state chairman of the association, had earlier stated that the state has the power to earn N2 billion in monthly revenue from the collection of commodity levies.
He claimed that the state’s agriculture sector has untapped potential that, if properly utilized through the effective operation of the commodity board, would increase money to the government coffers.
”Levies on hundreds of onion bags, garlic, grains and other products being cultivated in the state and transported to various parts of the country will attract huge revenue to the state government”, Sanusi said.
The AFAN Chairman recommended the governor of Sokoto State to activate the commodity board and make it operational in order to gain access to stabilization funds and other supporting windows from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
He asserted that these will increase the production of food and agriculturally related goods, business operations, and employment prospects for residents of the state.
Sanusi also urged the state government to set up soil testing facilities so that farmers may have thorough understanding of the soil conditions, nitrogen requirements, and other inputs for optimal yield on their fields.