The Minister of Agriculture has restated the Federal Government’s resolve to begin exporting yams to increase its earnings from food exports.
Audu Ogbe said this after the Federal Executive Council meeting was held in Abuja.
But the move has been met with a lot of scepticism by Nigerians who are worried that now may not be the right time to embark on such a venture with the capacity of the country to feed itself still in doubt.
It was one issue the Agriculture Minister had to clarify at this week’s Federal Cabinet meeting.
Ogbe believes that a lot of the yams produced are not even consumed and there are plans to ensure that produce is no longer lost to wastage.
He was emphatic that with the new policy to diversify the economy, government will ensure that it sells whatever is needed by other countries.
Council also approved the inclusion of National Youth Corps members to the National Health Insurance Scheme in order to prevent unnecessary deaths of youths serving their country across the country.
Government also renewed the Memorandum Of Understanding between the Federal Ministry of Health and the United Nations Fund for Population activities for another four years which would ensure the supply and free distribution of contraceptives to the population.
