President Muhammadu Buhari has urged leaders under the auspices of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to explore agriculture and technology to reclaim the region’s dwindling economy as a result of the deadly coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Buhari made the appeal during an Extraordinary ECOWAS Summit on COVID-19 held through teleconferencing on Thursday.

Of the over 2.5 million coronavirus cases worldwide, about 25,000 cases and 1,240 deaths have been recorded in 52 African countries as of Thursday afternoon.

Only Lesotho and Comoros are free from the pandemic.

With the drastic fall in oil price and lockdown directives issued by ECOWAS leaders to curtail the spread of the disease, the sub-region’s economy is under siege.

Charge

Mr Buhari at the meeting, however, tasked his colleagues from the region to look into the possible benefits that could be derived from the dire situation.

“In every challenging situation such as the current one, there are also opportunities. Our region must therefore seek to find those opportunities provided by this gloomy global outlook for its benefit by embarking on the implementation of such critical policies, which before now, will be difficult to accept,” a portion of his speech as shared by president’s spokesperson, Femi Adesina, read.

Among the measures taken by Mr Buhari’s to combat the biting impacts of COVID-19 on Nigerians, is the controversial ‘conditional cash transfers’ of N20,000 each for poor and vulnerable households as well as the distribution of food and medical supplies.

“The reduction of interest rates on all applicable Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) interventions from 9 to 5 per cent and introduction of a one- year moratorium on CBN intervention facilities,” he added.

Also in his address to the sub-regional leaders, led by the Republic of Niger president, Mahamadou Issoufou, Mr Buhari noted the dwindling status of the region’s finances as well as the continuous need to “spend massively on the containment of the virus, medical care for those infected and minimising impact of the crisis on the poor and vulnerable.”

“It is imperative that while addressing short term challenges, we should also explore opportunities to promote strong and dynamic agricultural policies that will guarantee food security for our people, creating jobs and reducing poverty in the region.

“We must innovate and use technology to boost the digital economy and do things differently, but better,” part of the statement read.

Source: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/389443-coronavirus-buhari-urges-ecowas-to-use-agriculture-technology-to-boost-economy.html

Lol

He said the right thing that his own country will not do

Sure

Just the way he has used the same Agriculture and Technology to boost the Nigerian economy, through the economy diversification he promised Nigerians abi?...

You can't give what you don't have.

Truly... Talk is cheap!!!

I sorry for u ECOWAS u look finish na bubu u see pick

If only the billion that would be generated from there will not be looted.
¤
Oh Lord, let thy will be done.
You alone know our heart desire and the pain we go through.
Wherever those that will show us mercy are, let them locate us.

he is leading by example.

Let him start that in Nigeria before advising others

The best time to invest is when there is blood on the street even if it’s your own blood. -Baron Rothschild.

This lifess one is a person ecowas placed as head of covid-19 response team for West Africa all I can say is that
IT IS FINISED

what an advice... Like say him Don do am.
Mtchewww

For ECOWAS to have made this dude their leader, one thing is certainly applicable, either ECOWAS is blind and deaf or dude is the most reasonable person in that ECOWAS.

Ok

I hope you practice what you preach.

I am certain that Baba read a script as usual, he definitely cannot make a complete sentence on his own....

....in the same manner than he has used agriculture and technology to boost Nigeria's economy, abi

Your own country wat have u done with agriculture and technology...

U d give advice...

All the best heads Good luck Jonathan hired in our agricultural sector ,u came and fired all of them....

Preaching what he can't practice, ever since Buhari came into power virtually everything in the agric sector has gone up, from poultry feed that use to be 1200 is now 4000, pig feed, Rice, half kilo of chicken, Fish, egg, Onions, tomatoe, There's nothing in Nigeria now that the price hasn't tripled...But this is the same Buhari making noise about food sufficiency

Omo see brother... Brother! See Brother... Brother!
You know the rest.

More than ever ecowas needs to come together and work thimgs out positively and this time it should be for real..

Good idea

We're not even exploring it in his country

Tired of Audio help...
The real people who needs help hardly get it in Nigeria.


Anyway check my signature.

Take risk and make money or die trying...
It is has never been easy but you can still make your own online.
Chat me up. Or text me. If I ask you for money run away.

The same assertion for diversification over and over again without any action


Bullshiiiiiiiit for Africa

Even a primary1 student understand d need for diversification is long overdue but we keep over depending on crude oil as only means of survival but now its done on us that we are in a tight corner and no miracle overnight for any superlative result but to take agriculture wholeheartedly

Do as I say, not as I do

Buhari just dey use hin Enemy shine anyhow, see wailing left, right and center they where expecting ECOWAS to pick their latest hero Idris Derby of Chad


.

RESTRUCTURE NIGERIA FIRST BEFORE YOU DO ECOWAS. CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME.

Yeah right, what does a herder know about administration.

If not that we are in the same country with cow worshippers, we for don know how many problem we get..

Developed your country first before advising another country how to boost their economy.... Unserious looters