After three years of his administration, President Muhammadu Buhari has admitted that his government has been turbulent. He listed some of the measures his administration has taken to address the numerous concerns in the country.

In a speech delivered on Monday during the inauguration of the Food Security Council at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, President Buhari said the Federal government will invest in research and development to enhance the nation’s agricultural yield and output.

He noted that although the journey to food sufficiency was long and tedious, it was the collective responsibility of all Nigerians to ensure that the potential positive impact of  government’s programmes  are sustained, improved and expanded.

He said: “Nigeria’s journey in the last three (3) years has been a very turbulent one. The country’s need for critical job creating sectors which have been ignored for decades is now beginning to yield result.

“As we all know, land is used for farming, grazing and forestry. Water is used for irrigation, livestock sustenance and fishing. Therefore, any strategy for land and water management must take into account the interconnectivity of all these key sectors to ensure equity and sustainability.

He said his administration had recently launched agricultural programmes that would focus on import substitution, job creation and rural development thereby bringing socio-economic transformation to the millions of Nigerians living in remote parts of the country.

His continued: “We commenced the long term Population Remediation Projects in the Niger Delta with the hope of restoring dignity and normalcy to the millions of Nigerians impacted by decades of pollution in their communities. Fishing and farming will resume once blighted areas are rehabilitated.

“We intensified our participation in the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) with the goal of reversing the shrinkage of the lake, which impacts the livelihoods of over 45 million farmers, herdsmen and fishermen in the LCBC countries.

“We issued the first ever green bond that will act as a catalyst for investments in renewable energy and afforestation projects. This was oversubscribed, sharing market confidence in the country and our Government.

“We established the Agro Rangers Unit within the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps to protect the billions of naira of investments recorded in Nigeria’s agricultural sector across the country.

“We continued to equip the Nigerian Navy and Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency to fight maritime criminals such as pirates and sea robbers who adversely impact offshore and inland fishing activities in our waters.”

President Buhari noted that while the country is not insulated from global and regional events, the programmes  have started yielding positive results which, if sustained, will positively transform the lives of millions of Nigerians.