Nigeria: 2023 – Northern Group Urges Emefiele to Contest for Presidency

The Unified Northern Nigeria Youth Forum (UNNYF) has lauded the achievements of Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Godwin Emefiele, calling on him to vie for the country’s presidency.

Addressing a press conference in Jos, spokesman of the group, Aliyu Sani, said, “As you are all aware, the past week has been engulfed in tours with series of consultations and mass rallies across some states of the North, calling on the CBN governor, Dr. Godwin Emefiele, to join the race and contest for the office of president in the upcoming 2023 elections.

“We are here in Plateau State to add to these calls and further mount pressure until we have acceptance from Dr. Godwin Emefiele to contest for the position of president in 2023.”

UNNYF said Emefiele had done well as CBN governor, adding that his policies have reflected in the growth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and created lots of employment in all states of the federation.

Citing the Anchor Borrowers’ Scheme as one of Emefiele’s many achievements that benefitted the northern part of the country, particularly Plateau State, Aliyu said, “Under the scheme, the CBN launched the brown revolution, an intervention aimed at boosting wheat value chain in Kwall Bassa Local Government Area. Wheat is the most widely consumed commodity, after rice, and only one per cent of it is produced in Nigeria with about $2 billion spent annually on its importation.

“With this brown revolution, the CBN seeks to cut about 60 per cent of this importation cost and has brought about 22.35 and 23.78 per cent growth in GDP in the first and second quarters of 2021 alone.

“In addition, 150,000 farmers were beneficiaries cultivating 100,000 hectares of land. This has improved local production of wheat in line with the mandate of the government to produce what we eat and eat what we produce.”

According to Aliyu, production of onion is another area where the people of Plateau have benefitted immensely from the CBN’s policies under Emefiele.

Nigeria needs 2.5 million metric tonnes of onions yearly to meet national demand, but only 1.4 million metric tonnes is produced. He said the provision of loans under the scheme had assisted onion farmers in the North-central, including Plateau, to make up for the 1.1million metric tonnes shortage.

He added, “Cotton is the third commodity to join the Anchor Borrowers Scheme after rice and maize, with 5,000 cotton farmers securing loan in Wase, Kanam, Langtang LGAs, to mention a few. This has significantly improved cotton production in the state, among others.

“Rice farming has been supported and boosted by the ABP as well; 6,670 farmers in Plateau State received seedling, fertiliser, herbicides, pesticides, water pumping machines and more with beneficiaries from 17 LGAs of the states, all thanks to the ABP. “With intervention from the CBN, aside Kaduna State, Plateau is one of the top five states that produces maize in the country, with immediate market value as it is been widely used by Vital feeds and NASCO company in Plateau State.

“It is on this ground that we, the youths of the north, came together because we have felt the impact of this hard working, de-tribaliised and dedicated gentleman’s revolution of the agricultural sector in the entire country.

“Since the demise of our founding fathers, no single individual has impacted on improving the lives of the downtrodden, making life better and easier for the northerners like Dr. Godwin Emefiele.

“This is why we are here in Plateau, to identify, consult and crave the indulgence of like minds to add their voices and make meaningful inputs to call on Dr. Godwin Emefiele to contest for president of this country.”

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