ABUJA— PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, announced far-reaching measures towards accelerating the nation’s economic growth through boosting agricultural output and provision of infrastructure in which a Lagos-Ibadan speed train line contract would soon be awarded.

President Jonathan who was represented by Vice President Namadi Sambo said at the opening of the Nigeria Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending, NIRSAL, conference that contract will soon be awarded for a standard fast train link between Lagos and Ibadan.

The president who noted that the present infrastructure situation in the country was unacceptable, said his administration was tackling infrastructure deficit across the nation head-on.



He said electricity power supply and transportation were being given priority attention in recognition of their multiplier effects on other sectors of the economy.

The president lamented that the huge annual food import bill of N630 billion was crashing the nation’s foreign reserves said the Federal Government would establish six fertilizer plants, one in each geo-political zone, to make the product readily available to farmers for increased yield.

He added that River Benue would also be dredged up to Yola, Adamawa State.

President Jonathan said: “Robust economic growth can only be achieved if all the economic agents are judiciously committed working assiduously towards committing their resources to this noble course.”

He noted that the on_going programme for agriculture and food security would serve as a platform for preparing the road_map for the implementation of all government_assisted agricultural programme.

He admitted that although in the last five years, the agricultural sector has contributed about 40 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product, GDP, and 60 per cent of employment, the encouraging growth has not sufficiently impacted on the socio_economic lives of the nation as Nigeria continued to depend on other nations for her food requirements.
Governor of Central Bank, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, had said that all well_informed Nigerians agreed that the nation had the potentials to be great and that agriculture presents the best path to that dream land.

He said: “This idea of common vision, therefore, is not new. What I think is new is the perspective of what has to be done, when, how and by whom.”

Sanusi called for the re_designing and embracing of a holistic approach in addressing the various challenges confronting the nation’s agricultural sector.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/07/fg-to-award-lagos-ibadan-rail-contract-soon-%e2%80%94jonathan/