By Ismail Auwal
President Muhammadu Buhari has lamented on how the lack of employment prospects and opportunities in most rural communities has remained a major contributor to insecurity.
Buhari disclosed this on Thursday while hosting a delegation of Fertilizer Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN).
He lamented how, for decades, previous government policies had focused on urban development at the expense of rural inclusion.
“In the last four years, we have worked hard to bridge some of these economic imbalances through our various agricultural and financial policies to attract employment opportunities to rural areas.
“As we continue to expand our security operations to bring an end to these challenges, it is important to note that peace and prosperity can only be sustained if we collectively and actively support investments that take opportunities to our rural citizens.
“I therefore urge our governors, bankers, investors and entrepreneurs to look beyond our cities when it comes to investments.
“As we have seen from Nigeria’s 5-year fertiliser revolution, if investors are willing to endure the short term ‘start-up’ pains, they will surely benefit from long term sustainable and substantial gains,” he said.
