Obasanjo: Innovation in Agriculture Key to Nigeria’s Survival, Development

Ejiofor Alike

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has said innovation in agriculture is key to human survival and development.

Obasanjo said this at the Grand Award Night for the 2022 Nigeria Prize for Literature, Science and Literary Criticism, organised by the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG) at the weekend in Lagos.

He emphasised the need to encourage innovations in food security, eradication of hunger and poverty, secure raw materials for domestic and foreign exchange so as to see the nation develop.

“Way back when humans were primarily hunters, they saw the need to cultivate and grow plants and livestock for sustenance, and then as exchange for other goods.

“With increased success, cottage industries bloomed and that principle of survival has still not changed after millions of years,” Obasanjo said.

He expressed delight at NLNG’s choice of science prize theme, ‘Innovations in Food Security,’ describing it as appropriate.

“As a farmer, I am really impressed with NLNG’s choice of this year’s science prize theme being ‘Innovations in food security.

“In my view, agriculture is the most ancient and proven industry for mankind. What I am saying is that agriculture is synonymous with human survival and development.

“We need to encourage innovations in food security, eradicate hunger and poverty, secure raw materials for domestic and foreign exchange, and we will see the nation develop,” Obasanjo added.

Obasanjo lauded the Board of Directors and Management of NLNG for the achievements recorded by the company over the years as a corporate entity, contributing to nation-building since May 1989.

“I have had the joy of witnessing NLNG’s coming-of-age story; in your maturity, you seek to pull our nation to the height you have attained.

“I enjoin all stakeholders to support NLNG in all its aspirations to help in building a better Nigeria,” the former president said.

He hailed the NLNG for its vision to be a globally competitive LNG company helping to build a better Nigeria.

“NLNG helps in Nigeria’s development, particularly, through its flagship, corporate social responsibility initiative – the ‘Nigeria Prize for Literature, the Nigeria Prize for Science and the ‘Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism.’

“We can adopt world-class best practices and leap with giant strides into the future.

“We can collaborate on exchange of ideas and invest in research and development.

“We can focus on the education and mental development of our people so that we position the nation for the direction it should go,” Obasanjo explained.