COVID-19: Nigeria no longer has money to import food, says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has stated Nigeria can no longer import food due to the devastating effect of the coronavirus pandemic on the country’s economy.

Addressing journalists at the State House on Sunday during the Eid celebrations, Buhari said the ravaging impact of the killer virus was evidenced in the fact that it has reduced both developed and developing countries to the same level.

His words: “Nigerians can see that the COVID-19 has reduced us, both the developing and developed countries, to the same level. In fact, we have fewer casualties than they have. So, it’s a very frightening development.”

The President went on to enjoin farmers across the country to increase food production by leveraging on the rainy season.

He added: “I hope the rainy season would be bountiful so that we can get a lot of food. I wish the farmers will go to farms so that we can produce what we need in sufficient quantity so that we don’t have to import food.

“In any case, we don’t have any money to import food. So, we must produce what we are going to eat.”

Buhari also called on Nigerians to ensure compliance with the various safety directives issued by the Federal Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) as the country hopes to sustain the battle against spread of the novel disease.

“I advise Nigerians to be very careful and take the advice of the Ministry of Health. The ministers of health have been doing very well, speaking and educating the citizens on the deadly virus. So, we should be very careful,” he added.