The Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN) and Fertilizers Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) have donated N1.77 billion to fund President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 re-election campaign.
The associations disclosed this during a gala night organised by beneficiaries of the federal government’s anchor borrowers programme, at the State House conference centre in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
RIFAN president, Aminu Goronyo, said with a membership of about 12.2 million, and with each member donating N100 to the campaign, it will translate to N1.2 billion.
On his part, the president of FEPSAN, Thomas Etuh, said FEPSAN is contributing N570 million to the re-election bid of the president.
RIFAN and FEPSAN Presidents said the programmes have changed the fortunes of the agriculture sector, which they described as unprecedented empowerment programme.
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Goronyo said apart from the increasing progress in the sector, the president’s policies have also resulted in the saving of billions of naira for the country.
According to him, “all these achievements are from your commitments and favourable policies to agriculture.”
On his part, the president of FEPSAN said N120 billion was saved in two years from fertilizer subsidy.
The governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, said the ABP launched on November 17, 2015, has resulted in the saving of $800 million.
Emefiele said import bills before the introduction of the programme was as high as N1.4 trillion annually, adding that the programme has been created 2.5 million jobs from rice farming alone.
CBN governor described the programme as the most successful anchor programme in Africa, adding that “It has raised the standard of our farmers.
“The programme is changing the narrative of agricultural investments in Nigeria. It has brought the era of food security and sustenance leading to a cut in forex being used for the importation of rice and other food items into the country.”
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