The Vice Chancellor of Federal University Dutse, Jigawa, Prof. Fatima Mukhtar, on Wednesday advised the Federal Government to enforce the ban on importation of food items.
Mukhtar gave the advice at a Special Lecture Series in a paper presented on “Agricultural Biotechnology: Opportunities and Challenges.”
She urged President Muhammadu Buhari not to succumb to critics on the policy banning the importation of some food products.
The Vice Chancellor explained that the step taken by the present administration to stop the importation of food items like rice would help in boosting food production in the country.
According to her, the decision taken by government is a tough one but it must remain focused for the future of the country.
“I know people have been making noise about the new policy of the government, but it must remain resolute in ensuring the country attain food security,” she said.
Mukhtar noted that the expectation was that by 2050, the population of the country must have increased to 440 million and that would pose serious challenges if action was not taken now.
The Vice Chancellor also advised the federal government to concentrate more on crop production that would help in providing food for the citizenry than using such land for biofuel or energy plant production.
