First ladies across Nigeria’s 36 states have been urged to follow the example of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, in promoting subsistence farming.
Recently, a video surfaced showing Remi Tinubu, the wife of President Bola Tinubu, planting in a garden at Aso Rock, where she advocated for home gardens across Nigeria.
Hon. Mufutau Egberongbe, a former House of Representatives member, commended Senator Tinubu’s efforts in promoting subsistence farming and stressed that the initiative should be further encouraged, particularly by governors’ wives, who are capable of motivating citizens to adopt the practice.
“The wife of the President is pushing this positive idea, and I think she should not be alone. The concept needs to be expanded by every citizen but more through encouragement by wives of governors,” Egberongbe remarked.
He added, “It is not compulsory that we must all have big farms. The idea is to have crops in little quantities planted in spaces around our houses.
“You can only imagine the outcome of this if every house in the country is able to grow one crop or the other for family consumption. Apart from the health benefits of eating fresh foods, it would also impact the amount we spend on food.”
He further noted that if the wives of governors in Nigeria can collectively embrace and promote the concept of subsistence farming, it could significantly improve food security and self-sufficiency across the country.
“If the wives of governors in Nigeria can all buy into this idea and push the advocacy to residents in their various states, we will achieve higher than the desired goal.
“The wives of governors should not only take a clue from the First Lady, they should also extend it to the wives of local government chairmen,” he said.
Egberongbe, who represented Apapa federal constituency from 2019 to 2023, expressed confidence that the agricultural policies outlined by President Tinubu in his recent speech will put the nation back on track.
“But in the meantime, let’s prioritize subsistence farming and promote the greening of our surroundings,” he advised, urging protesters to engage in constructive dialogue with the government.