Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said on Sunday that farmers must double their efforts in producing more food for the country as Nigeria no longer has “any money to import food”.

He made these statements in a short interview after observing the Eid-el-Fitr prayers at his State House residence because of the raging COVID-19 pandemic.

“I wish the farmers will go to farms and save lives so that we can produce what we need in sufficient quantity so that we don’t have to import food,” Buhari stated, calling on those in the agricultural sector to maximise the opportunities afforded by the rainy season.

“In any case, we don’t have any money to import food. So, we must produce what we are going to eat… I hope the rainy season would be bountiful so that we get a lot of food,” he added.

Buhari’s call echoes the prophecy of prominent Nigerian cleric TB Joshua, who has been calling on the government to invest in the agricultural sector for several years.

“Agriculture will help the economy because the economy will have a backlash. People should invest in agriculture. Let us farm to help the economy,” Joshua stated on Sunday 5th January 2020, after declaring 2020 would be a “year of humility”.

The coronavirus outbreak that ensued in the coming months has indeed triggered severe economic repercussions worldwide, with multiple nations instigating ‘lockdowns’ in an attempt to quell the spread of the virus.