Juliet Jacob Ochenje
The Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, has said that there is no justification for Nigeria not being among the top 10 richest countries in the world.
He added that with agricultural revolution, Nigeria can end insecurity and reduce poverty among its growing population.
Shettima, who made this statement on Saturday during the 13th Convocation Lecture of Al-Hikmah University in Ilorin,Kwara State, said such a revolution can be achieved through the deployment of technology to achieve food security in Nigeria.
According to him, Nigeria has enough of what it needs to feed its massive population to grow a vibrant agricultural industry and supply huge markets with agricultural produce from which technology would have extracted the greatest value.
In his words, “Going by the amount of arable land, water resources and size of our humanity, Nigeria has no reason not to be among the ten richest countries today.
“That we are near the bottom is precisely why we sought to offer our services to do justice to all that God Has bestowed us with.
“Nigeria today reminds us that it is not enough to have potential. Indeed, the potential to grow and the failure to utilize that potential is a virtual death sentence for any living thing.”
