The Presidency has affirmed that President Bola Tinubu has achieved his goal of cultivating 500,000 hectares of land, in line with the administration’s food security policy. This clarification comes in response to recent criticism of Tinubu’s new pledge to collaborate with state governors on cultivating 10 million hectares nationwide.
Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Tinubu, addressed the criticism following a broadcast in which Tinubu outlined his administration’s ambitious agricultural targets. Journalist Oseni Rufai, commenting on the broadcast, accused Tinubu of failing to meet his earlier promise of cultivating 500,000 hectares and questioned the feasibility of his new 10 million hectare target. Rufai also called for the dismissal of Tinubu’s speech writer.
Ajayi countered these criticisms, stating that the federal government, in partnership with state governors, had indeed exceeded the 500,000 hectare goal. He highlighted that at least five states have contributed to this achievement, with Jigawa and Kebbi alone accounting for 300,000 hectares during the dry season. Niger State is also progressing with plans to cultivate 1 million hectares.
“The President was clear in his broadcast,” Ajayi said. “The 10 million hectare target is a plan and a goal for the future. The cultivation of more than 500,000 hectares has already been accomplished, and nearly every state is engaged in agricultural activities.”
