The Chairman of the Oyo State Pilgrims Welfare Board (Muslim Wing), Sheikh Hashim Atere, attributed the current economic hardship in the country to the neglect of agriculture and locally made products.
Atere made this statement while delivering the 6th annual Shina Peller-sponsored Ramadan lecture of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Oyo State Council, held on Saturday at the NUJ Secretariat, Iyaganku Ibadan.
He argued that many Nigerians have neglected agriculture, leading to food scarcity in the country. Speaking on the topic, “Ramadan: Spirits of Sharing and Caring as a Panacea for Hardship,” he claimed that most Nigerians prioritize foreign goods over locally made products, ultimately costing them more money.
Atere proposed a change of mindset as a solution to reduce the current economic hardship. He urged citizens to embrace agriculture and patronize locally made products.
“If we’re talking about hardship, it wasn’t caused solely by the government,” he said. “People often neglect locally made products.”
“We’ve neglected the agricultural sector. We don’t have enough farmers, especially here in the Southwest. Land that could be used for farming has been used for housing developments.”
“We want to eat eggs, but we don’t raise chickens. The hardship is caused by our neglect of agriculture. We are the ones causing hardship for ourselves. Let’s eat locally made foods and stop relying on foreign goods.”
