Olusegun Obasanjo, the former president, has stated that Nigeria can no longer be fed by oil and gas due to its expanding population.
Goldennewsng reports that Obasanjo made the disclosure over the weekend during a visit to his OOPL Penthouse residence in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, by the leaders of the apex socio-cultural group in Tiv land of Benue State, Mzough U Tiv (MUT).
Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo’s Special Assistant on Media, issued a statement that was made available to the Daily Post. In it, he said that Obasanjo wanted Nigerians to see the country as a place for everyone and to “save it and restore it to what God has created it to be.”
“Only farming and agribusiness can tackle the nation’s growing population,” Obasanjo stated.
He emphasized once more that the nation’s only source of food would be agriculture and agribusiness, not oil.
The former president urged the Tiv people to concentrate on farming and emphasized that he had left behind his Benue farm arson.
The socio-political group gave Obasanjo the title of “Great Warrior” of Tiv land. He said that next year he would start an industry in Benue.
Iorbee Ihagh, the group’s leader, had earlier requested, among other things, that Obasanjo establish a fruit juice industry in Benue.