Buhari says lack of employment in rural areas major cause of insecurity

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday discloses that joblessness in most rural communities had continued to be the key source of insecurity being seen in parts of the nation.

As indicated in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, the President talked while welcoming Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria’s members at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The statement was named “New 41.3bn fertilizer plant ready in months, President Buhari says.”

The President was cited as saying that for quite a long time, past government policies have concentrated on urban growth at the detriment of rural involvement.

Buhari said, “In the last four years, we have worked hard to bridge some of these economic imbalances through our various agricultural and financial policies to attract employment opportunities to rural areas.

“As we continue to expand our security operations to bring an end to these challenges, it is important to note that peace and prosperity can only be sustained if we collectively and actively support investments that take opportunities to our rural citizens.

“I therefore urge our governors, bankers, investors and entrepreneurs to look beyond our cities when it comes to investments.

“As we have seen from Nigeria’s five-year fertiliser revolution, if investors are willing to endure the short term ‘start-up’ pains, they will surely benefit from long term sustainable and substantial gains.”

The President was said to have disclosed that a new basic chemicals platform worth $1.3bn that will generate ammonia and fertilizers in Nigeria will be completed for launching next months.

He declared that the new plant will be constructed in collaboration with the Kingdom of Morocco.

Buhari stated, “His Majesty, the King of Morocco and I, have agreed to extend the current Phosphate supply agreement between the Kingdom of Morocco and Nigeria.

“We both believe that to consolidate and expand on the successes recorded thus far, we must secure raw material supplies to our blenders.

“Furthermore, to improve the balance of trade between Nigeria and Morocco, the two countries have signed an agreement to develop a $1.3 billion Basic Chemicals Platform in Nigeria that will produce Ammonia, Phosphoric Acid, Sulphuric Acid and various Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium and Diammonium Phosphate fertilisers using Nigeria’s gas reserves.”

The President further said that the new plant when ready would supplement the current Dangote and Indorama Chemicals facilities which produce urea, ammonia as well as industrial raw materials.

He said, “When we combine these projects with the existing 44 blending plants, Nigeria will indeed become a regional and global fertiliser power house.”